


Mustang and Steel

by Shadow_Ravena



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alchemy, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood Brothers, Canon-Typical Violence, Dead Parents, Gen, Military, Military Training, POV Original Character, Pre-Canon, Teleportation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-09
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-07-28 17:49:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 31,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16246745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadow_Ravena/pseuds/Shadow_Ravena
Summary: "Hey Steel, you won't leave me will you?""Of course not Mustang. We're brothers, remember?"Brought together through shared tragedy, Roys Mustang and Steel now have to figure out how to live with all they've done and seen. No matter what they've lost, they find strength in each other and in their desire to protect others from harm.From their training under Master Hawkeye to the war that nearly destroyed their idealism to the plot to destroy Amestris, the brothers will soldier on, gradually adding Riza, Hughes, Edward and Alphones, to their list of close friends and allies as they all resolve to save their world from sure destruction, or die trying.





	1. Monster

"P-please don't hurt us- hurk!" a female voice cried out, going silent as a creature chomped down.

A boy raced through an old house, running to the kitchen and grabbing two knife. He spun on his heels and raced towards where the sound originated.

"I won't go down so easily!" a male voice cried, and the boy heard a creature roar in pain, before a rasping voice said, "You'll pay for that!"

"Just try to hurt me, I'll just regenerate!" a raspy voice bellowed, before the male voice cried out in pain.

"Dad!" the boy cried as he raced through the halls, then slammed out of the back door to the yard outside. He skidded to a stop when he saw the scene in front of him.

 

His father was desperately holding open the jaws of a mammoth beast, a green dog-iguana with silent howling faces melting over it's skin. It turned it's eyes to look at Roy as he entered the scene.

"Roy, run!" the father shouted, but Roy only tightened his's hand on his knives.

 

He raced forward and jumped up, driving the knives with his full weight behind them into the creature's insect-like eye.

The monster let out a howl, rearing back and releasing Roy's father. "Fuck that hurt! But it- wait why isn't my philosopher's stone working?!" it said, shaking it's head as blood spurted from the blinded eye.

 

In the brief moment the father and son looked at each other and nodded. The father took one of the knives, slamming it into the creatures belly and slashing down with Roy. Blood spurted out, and the creature roared... then slammed down on the father as Roy leaped back in the nick of time.

 

"Dad!" Roy cried as the creature crushed him with it's body. Roy looked up at the creature and yelled, "You're going to pay for that!"

He gripped his knife tighter and ran around the creature, carving a gash into it's side as he passed it. The creature in response knocked Roy over with it's tail, then said, "Stupid brat, you won't kill me that easily!"

 

Roy struggled to his feet, the growled and leaped onto the creature's back, running up it's spine. He stopped near the top, and started hacking into the creature with his knife, grabbing the wound and tearing the flesh back with his hands, widening the gaping hole.

The creature roared and tried to shake Roy off, but he clung to the creature's back and didn't stop, plunging his knife deeper and deeper into the creature's body. He got the hole arm-deep when the creature suddenly started to shake and convulse. 

Roy pulled his arm free as the creature shrunk down, falling off it's back as the thing turned from monster to... a teenage boy?

 

The boy looked around wildly, it's spiky green hair swinging from side to side like rushes. It's wounds seemed to transfer, as it's eye was still gashed out, and it's chest bled under it's crimson crop-top.

Suddenly it spotted the woods at the back of the yard, and it spun on his heels and started to race for the cover of the tree.

 

"Oh no you don't!" Roy roared, taking off after the creature.

They reached the treeline, plunging into darkness as the ground was illuminated only by sploshes of moonlight. The creature cursed as it slid on the leaves under it's feet, nearly crashing into the towering trees several times.

Roy just smiled, nimbly navigating the forest terrain. This was his backyard, his home. He wouldn't let this- this monster!- get away!

 

The chase continued for what seemed like hours, as the creature barely managed to stay ahead of Roy on it's longer legs. It clearly had a destination in mind, as it swerved around the trees and staying in mostly a straight line.

 

At one point Roy got close enough to the creature that he could throw his knife, the blade plunging into the monster's back.

It cried out and stumbled, nearly falling, but it grabbed a low-lying tree branch at the last second, steadying it before it ran forward, breathing ragged. 

Roy lunged forward to grab at the creature's pineapple-leaf hair, but only managed to land flat on the ground. This gave the monster time to increase the lead, almost getting out of Roy's sight. Almost.

 

Eventually they broke the treeline and entered a wide-open field. The creature increased it's speed, lowering it's head as it charged forward through the dewy grass. In the center of the field was a burned out patch that faintly glowed red, a patch the creature raced towards with the last of it's strength.

 

Roy nearly stopped when he saw the red glowing pattern on the ground, but sped up as the monster stopped and pumped it's arms. "Seeya bitch!" it cried, as the pattern went from dull red to crackling blue.

Roy just let out a howl and dived at the monster, slamming into it's chest as a giant grey eye opened on the ground. 

They hit the ground, but before Roy could slam him knife into the monster's throat, tendril hands shot up and pulled the two of them into the eye...

And the world went white...


	2. Truth is a dick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy enters the devil's domain, and leaves with little remaining...

 

"Ahh look, another desperate seeker," a voice said as Roy stumbled forward.

He looked around widely, and demanded, "Where's the monster?! He was with me a second ago!" He didn't spot it, only a an eerie white figure sitting in the center of the void.

 

It actually frowned for a nanosecond, saying, "That homunculus escaped this time. But I'm afraid you won't get off that easily," it said, standing up and walking over to Roy.

 

Roy stiffened and grasped his knife, brandishing it at the figure. "L-leave me alone!" he said, his body shaking from exhaustion from the run. "What even are you?!"

 

The figure stopped and laughed. "I am many things. I am the universe. I am god. I am Truth. And I am  _you_ ," it said, pointing at Roy.

 

"Well you look like a freaky ghost to me!" he cried, and the thing only smiled. Roy looked around again, this time spotted a massive floating stone gate, inscribed with symbols and writing Roy didn't recognize. "What are those?!"

 

The figure chuckled and said, "The portal to all knowledge in existence, the goal of your quest."

Roy just blinked and said, "...quest?"

"Yes. All come here seeking knowledge and al-"

"I'm not here for any knowledge! I'm just chasing after that- what did you call it- homunculus! Where did it  _go?!_ " he demanded, brandishing the knife at the figure.

 

It smiled and grabbed the knife from Roy, squeezing it till it crumpled into dust. Roy stared as the remains  fell to the floor and disappeared. "Threatening me never works," it said simply. "Many try to to get out of the toll, but it always ends in failure."

 

Roy took a step backwards and stared at the creature with big eyes. "Toll? What toll?" he said, his voice squeaking. 

 

The thing smiled widely, nearly splitting it's head in half. "There's a price to be paid for coming here," it said. "Did you think you'd get something for nothing?"

"But I don't want to  _be_ here! I don't want any knowledge!" Roy cried, looking at the creature desperately. "I just- I was just chasing this thing, and I ended up here!"

"Hmm how interesting. But I'm afraid I cannot change the rules. You come, you pay," it said.

 

Roy snapped his head around as he heard the door behind him split and open, staring at the darkness inside. "What are you doing to me?!" he cried, then tried to dash forward as little hands shot from the door, grabbing him and yanking him back. "Ghost, help me!" he cried, reaching out towards the strange figure.

"I'm sorry Roy, I can't do that," it said, watching with a wide grin as Roy struggled desperately against the hands. "Cheer up. You may just find what you seek inside the Gate," it said as Roy was engulfed in darkness.

 

 

Roy was hurtled through a kaleidoscope of colors and images, all unknown to him. He cried and tried to look away, it was too much, his head-! But the hands pulled his eyelids open and he screamed as the images overwhelmed him, piercing his eyes with their light. 

He felt his brain melting as it tried to absorb this information, this alien world with it's alien rules. Only one thing stuck out- the circle that brought him here. He saw it and hundreds of others similar but different.  _Magic? What is-_ he thought, but cried as his limbs started to dissolve, then his torso, and lastly his head. Just as the last of his brain disappeared he thought,  _I can't die! Not here! Not like this! That creature- I gotta stop it!_

 

And as the world turned white, a surge of determination shot through him.  _I won't die! I won't! Even if I'm nothing but steel- I won't die!_

 


	3. Alternate Universe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy arrives- at his house? No, it's an alternate world version of it... complete with a little Roy, who Envy hunts down to teach him a lesson...

 The air around Roy crackled blue, and the sky opened as he fell, fell, fell down onto the ground, landing hard next to a groaning figure. "Shit, that  _hurt!_ " it cried, and Roy recognized the monster's voice.

He tried to move, to sit up, but found to his horror that he couldn't  _move_. He opened his eyes and looked down at his body, giving a scream. "Where's the rest of me?!"

 

Instead of his clothes and flesh he saw just a black puppet-like body, his hands folded on his chest. He tried to move his finger, his leg,  _anything,_ but his body wouldn't respond.

He heard the monster laugh and swiveled his eyes over to look as it- still a boy in crop-top and miniskirt- got up.

"Well you look at that! That bastard stole your entire body! Ha! Well good for me, I'm still hurt thanks to you brat," it said, kicking Roy in the side and then hissed as it's foot met solid not-metal. 

 

"Where are we anyways..." it muttered, turning to look up at the house next to them. "Wait, we were just here?!"

Roy looked over at the house as best as he could and said, "That isn't my house homunculus." It did indeed look similar, and the monster would only have seen it in the dark, but Roy could tell the colors, the frame, was just slightly off.

His thoughts were interrupted by the monster saying, "Envy. It's Envy, pipsqueak," it said, kicking Roy again. "Well then, maybe it's just a copy. Ah wait, that means a copy of  _you_ doesn't it?" it said, grinning evilly. "Well. Since you caused me so much trouble... why not teach you a lesson?" Envy said, picking up Roy easily under his arm and marching forward into the house. 

 

They entered into an all-too-familiar living room, Envy looking around. "Now where's your copy..." it muttered. Then it's eyes brightened and it chuckled evilly.

"Royyyyy~!" Envy called, using the voice of Roy's father. "Roy, get down here!"

Roy watched in horror as a small boy- even younger than him!- came running into the room. Like Roy, he had dark hair and piercing grey eyes, eyes which turned to examine the stranger. "Huh? You aren't Daddy!" he cried, voice high and afraid. 

 

Envy dropped Steel on the carpeted floor and advanced forward, his arm transforming into a long knife. "Roy, let this be a lesson- don't mess with me!" he said, lunging with his knife.

The little boy dodged behind a chair and then ran out of the room, wailing, "Daadddyyy! Heellpp!!!"

Envy cursed and pulled his arm out of the ruined chair cushion. "Get back here pipsqueak!" he roared, charging off after the small boy.

 

Roy tried desperately to struggle, to do anything. He had to help! That kid... he couldn't let mini-him get killed by Envy! "Come on,  _move!_ " he cried at his body.

But the shell didn't respond. Roy screwed his eyes shut and tried desperately to think.

 

He felt like he was a hollow metal shell, his body responsive to touch- barely- but his insides gone, vamoose. He thought he was steel, but steel didn't look black, did it?

Suddenly it hit him, a piece of knowledge from the void- carbon. He was made of  _carbon_. His mind went off on a tangent, reciting the various elements of the body- water, carbon, magnesium, copper, iron... but mostly carbon and water. 

"Well bully I'm carbon, but how do I  _move?!_ " he cried.

 

He thought desperately, trying to remember anything about carbon that he saw in the Gate. Properties, chemical reactions, uses...  _Come on, show me something useful!_

 

Finally, he saw something weird. A circle with a bunch of triangles and weird runes.  _Magic circle? Wait, that's like the circle that brought us here! Or well, no, but- are these circles magic here?_

It was worth a shot. He knew instinctively that he had to clasp his hands and focus on the spell- fortunately his hands were already pressed together.

 

He tried to take a deep breathe, grunted in frustration, then focused on the magic circle in his mind. He squinted his eyes shut and waited for something to happen... nothing did.

 _Come ON! MOVE!_ he thought, picturing in his mind his body standing up.

And instantly, a blue light coursed over his body, and he felt his joints unfuse- he stood!

 

He clutched his chest once he stood- it felt like he had been draining of energy. 

But he shook his head and muttered, "Right, first, gotta save mini-me!"

A scream rang out, and Roy startled, then started to run.  _That was mini-me's!_

Then a gruff man's voice cried, "If you want to hurt him you'll have to go through me!"

 _No no no!_ Roy thought, as Envy said, "Okay then pops!"

 

Roy skidded through the halls of the house, searching desperately for where the family was. Which room?! Then it hit him- the study! His father was always there!

He ran down the hallway, hearing to his horror the sound of the father gasping and choking, then a woman's voice crying, "George! George wake up!"

 _No-!_ Royn thought, as a wail went up from somewhere in the house.

"You idiots never think!" Envy cried. "Come on, at least make it a little challenging!"

 

Roy closed his eyes and full-out sprinted, and a second later slammed into the door of the study.

It crashed open and Roy looked around for a nanosecond. His- no mini-him's- father lay on the rug, his head detached from his body. Beside him, the mother gasped from a gash through her chest, blood running from her mouth. The bookcases behind them were splattered with blood, the floor soaked with it.

Mini-Roy was kneeling next to his mom, desperately saying, "Mom? Mom, get up!!"

Envy stood over him, knife-arm dripping blood. He had it poised over little Roy's head, but he turned when Roy slammed into the room. "Ah, just in time. Now watch the pipsqueak die!" he cried, swinging his arm down.

 

Roy didn't have time to think. In his mind, all he knew was he had to get in front of mini-him,  _now_.

Blue crackled in the air around him as a variation of the portal circle appeared in his mind- the interlocked pentagons, now with a four-spiked circle in the middle, a rune in the center. He wasn't entirely sure what it meant- all he knew was a second later, he appeared in front of little Roy.

 

Envy's knife hit his body and harmlessly slid off. "Wha- how did you get there kid?!" Envy cried.

Roy didn't know, feeling woozy and shaking. He couldn't fight like this. But maybe...

 

He grabbed the little boy and clapped his hands together. "Seeya Envy!" he cried, as blue light surrounded him and he vanished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Explanation time! Non-spoiler version.
> 
> In season five, we see the portal to force open the Gate of Truth- a circle with interlocked pentagons (I'm taking this from when an unlucky fellow is forced to open the Gate...) 
> 
> We also see that the Gate acts like an in-between place, a way of jumping from location to location- like from a fake Gate to Amestris, for example.
> 
> I just basically took that and altered the transmutation circle to just go from location to location without seeing Truth. 
> 
> Is it OP? Well... the COST doesn't change...


	4. Same but Different

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The death of their parents finally hit the Roys...

The two Roys appeared in mid-air and hit the ground, hard. Roy  grabbed the smaller one and clutched him too his chest, hitting the ground and absorbing most of the impact. Still, the wind was knocked out of little Roy, who for a moment remained so still Roy worried he was dead.

Eventually, the boy stirred, and he cried out weakly, "Mom! Dad! Ergh, let me go!" he said, struggling against Roy's iron grip.

"No!" Roy cried. "Envy will just attack us again! Besides..." he said, biting his lip. "They're dead mini-me. They're gone."

"No!" the little boy cried, still struggling. "They can't be! They can't! Let me go! :Let me goooo!" he cried, struggling, but Roy's grip was too strong.

"Mom... Dad... they can't be dead! They can't... they... can't.... dead....." little Roy cried, his voice starting to falter and tears appearing in his eyes.

 

He stopped struggling and leaned his head against Roy's chest, sobbing openly. "They can't be... no... they- they'll be here soon, right? They... they'll show up, right? Right?" he said, looking at Roy with wet eyes.

Roy turned his head away, and said softly, "Sorry kid... they're... gone..." he said, his voice starting to waver as the death of his own parent's crashed over him.

He felt like crying but found to his dismay that he couldn't- he couldn't... his chest didn't tighten, his eyes didn't grow hot and teary, his voice didn't choke up as he muttered over and over again, "they're gone... they're really... really gone..."

Little Roy's lip wavered, then he burst into sobs that wracked his body, his wails rising to the sky.

 

Roy snapped out of it and tried to shush him- they hadn't teleported too far away, he could see the boy's house. He worried Envy would hear and find him. "Shhh, shh, please, we can't be found..."

The little boy was inconsolable though, so after a moment Roy shoved the little boy off his chest and stood. "Come on, we need to hide," he said, looking around nervously.

The little boy just remained curled up on the ground.

Roy just... panicked. He couldn't pick the boy up, he was nearly the same size as him! He just watched the mansion with trepidation in his heart, looking for any sight of Envy.

 

Time seemed to slow to halt. Roy couldn't help pacing a little bit, guarding mini-him while the boy sobbed his heart out.

Eventually the sun started to set, and Roy leaned down to shake little Roy on the shoulder. "Come on... we need to go back. Envy has to have left... and you need food..." he said, feeling a tinge of anger at his own lack of appetite. Or stomach.

The little boy had fallen silent by then, still curled up. At Roy's words though he looked up and yipped at the approaching night. "No, it's gunna be dark! Mommy and Daddy always said to be inside by dark!"

Roy grabbed little Roy's hand and heaved him up. The boy was shaking from exhaustion, but he followed obediently as Roy starting walking back to the house.

 

They approached it fearfully, Roy saying in a shaky voice, "Y-you stay here, I'll look-"

Little Roy shook his head and grabbed Roy. "N-no, don't leave me here! We'll- we'll go together!"

Roy tried to sigh and found he couldn't, the anger in him flaring up again. "Okay. But stay behind me."

Little Roy nodded and they entered the house.

 

The place was silent and eerie in the darkness. The boys walked through it cautiously, looking in every room for Envy, but there was no sign of the monster.

Then the finally came to the study- the door open. Little Roy tried to rush forward with a cry, but Roy caught him by the collar and held him back. "Wait! Let me look!"

Shoving the boy to the side, Roy peered into the room. What he saw made him throw up- or it would have, if he could.

 

The parents were propped up against the bookcases, blood pooling at their feet. But that's was the tamest part of the sight.

The parents had been eviscerated, their intestines pulled out to tie their arms to heavy bookstoppers, holding the parents up. The remainder of their guts had been stuffed into their mouths, their torsos empty of all save blood. Their eyes had been gouged out, leaving their empty sockets staring forward blindly at boy. Their skin had been peeled off in strips, exposing their muscles. 

Roy tried to gag again and slammed the door shut, his chest convulsing even though he couldn't breathe.

Little Roy tugged on his shirt. "W-what's wrong?!" he cried.

Roy tried to gulp and said, "T-they... don't look little Roy, Envy... he mutilated them..."

"What does mutilate mean? And I'm not little!" he said hotly.

 

Roy chuckled. "Well you're littler than me, and I can't call you Roy, I'm Roy!"

Little Roy stared at him. "You're named Roy too??" 

Roy nodded. "Y-ya. I think... we're alternate universe twins..."

 

Little Roy just cocked his head. "What does that mean?" he asked.

Roy heaved again and straightened up. "Come on, let's eat. I'll try to explain..."

 

The Roys walked into the kitchen, little Roy pestering him. "How can we be twins, I'm not black!"

"I wasn't... I looked like you, Roy said. "I just- got changed."

"Changed? By what?"

"This- demon. I don't know what to call him. He made me like this..." he said, staring down at his hand. "I'm not... I'm all hollow now..."

Little Roy's eyes widened. "Like a suit of armor?" he asked.

Roy nodded. "Ya! Like that. I'm just... armor now."

"That's... weird," Little Roy said. "Why would someone do that?"

 

Roy thought back to what Truth said, and replied, "It was a... cost..."

"Cost?" 

Roy tried to sigh. "It's a long story..."

"Well I wanna know!" Little Roy said, crossing his hands. "So tell me!"

 

Roy's chest heaved again and he sat down at the table and told mini-him what happened. He listened intently, eyes wide. "S-so that monster killed your parents too?"

Roy nodded glumly. "Yep. We're both orphans now kid."

"Stop calling me kid!! You're a kid!!" the boy said.

 

Roy laughed. "I'm what, five years older than you? I'm ten," he said.

Little Roy pouted. "I'm almost six!" he said. "You're not that old!"

Roy laughed again. "Fine fine fine. But whatcha call you?"

"Roy! I'm Roy!" he said. "You're just- a fake!"

"I am not!" Roy said hotly. "I told you, I'm from another here! I'm you you little twit!"

"Well you're weird! You're all metal!" 

"Carbon-" Roy said. "Though I should be steel. That's my name."

"What?" Little Roy asked, tilting his head.

"Steel. My last name's steel," Roy explained.

 

Little Roy blinked, then burst out laughing. "You're steel and you're made of steel! That's hilarious!"

"I'm not-" Roy started, but then smiled. "Alright, I'm Steel then. Whats you last name?"

"Mustang," he said. "Roy Mustang."

 

"Right," Steel said. "I'm Steel, you're Mustang. Cool?"

"Cool," Mustang said.

He looked around and said, "I'm hungry. Let's get some food," he said, hopping off his chair and opening the icebox. "Uh..." he said, looking at Roy. "Can you cook...?"

Roy laughed and walked over. "Yep. Let me lit- Mustang. Let's get you some food."

 

Again the anger flared- he couldn't eat, not like this. But he pushed it out of his mind... for now.


	5. Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Night settled, but Steel can't sleep...

Night truly fell and after enough protests that he wasn't tired, Mustang finally was persuaded to go to bed. He offered Steel his floor, which Steel happily accepted.

They both laid down and soon Mustang drifted off to sleep.

 

But Mustang stayed awake.

 

He stared up at the ceiling, his red eyes starting to glow brighter in anger. "Stupid Truth," he muttered. "Stupid body, stupid world. Stupid Envy- if it weren't for him I would be at home and happy!"

Mustang groaned and rolled over, and Steel flinched. Whoops. Don't wake the child.

...Steel finally realized he couldn't help but think of Mustang as a child, despite being one himself. He felt... so much older. After everything had happened...

 

He groaned in rage, putting a hand to his mouth to quiet it to no avail- it's not like he was really  _talking_. He just... he moved his lips and all, but no air passed through them. He just... kinda thought out loud more than anything.

 

"Stupid truth, stupid voice, stupid- stupid! Everything is so stupid!" he cried, suddenly growing quiet when Mustang shifted again.

 

Steel rocked back and forth and with a grunt got up and left the room. He walked through the house to the living room and out the door.

 

Immediately once outside he exploded in rage. "Why me?!! Why did this happened to  _me?!_ " What the hell is going on?!"

He paced back and forth, grumbling all the while. "This isn't  _fair!_ None of this is  _fair!!_ I didn't  _do_ _ANYTHING_! Why me?!"

He thought of Truth and his anger flared. "What is wrong with that guy?! Why did he- why did he kill me?!" for part of him realized that Truth had done just that, and Roy had barely managed to save himself. "What the hell did I do to him?! What if  _wrong_ with that freak?!"

 

He cut the air as he strode back and forth, his voice getting louder and louder. "Why did I end up on this stupid planet?! I don't wanna be here! I wanna be at home! I just-!"

 

His voice hitched and he let out a strangled sob. "I just wanna go hommmmeeeeee!" he cried, collapsing to his knees with his hands on his face.

He trembled, trying to cry but being unable to. "This isn't fair, this isn't fair! I just want to go home! I just.... Mom, Dad! Where are you?! Don't leave me like this!!"

 

The rational part of his mind knew they were dead, gone, a world away, but he was a  _boy_. Just a little boy. 

He cried as best he could, voice wailing though his cheeks remained dry. He sobbed his little heart out, all pretenses of being the adult fading as the little lost boy took hold.

 

Eventually he heard the sound of the door opening and saw Mustang, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "Steel? Whats wrong?" he asked.

Steel looked over and said, "N-nothing Mustang. Go back to bed."

"It's  _not_ nothing," Mustang said stubbornly. "I heard you crying. You're too big to cry," he said accusingly.

"Says the blubberer," Steel replied. "I wasn't the one too sad to even move!"

Mustang looked mad for a second, then yawned. He walked over to Steel and took his hand. "Come on, let's go to sleep. I'm tired."

Steel looked down. "I- I can't sleep," he said.

 

"What?" Mustang said, blinking owlishly. 

"I- I can't sleep. This body- I'm armor, remember? Armor doesn't sleep."

"Then- then..." Mustang said, looking away. "I dunno. What about the radio? Mom and Dad would listen to it when they couldn't sleep. They listened to boring music, maybe that'll help you sleep?"

Steel smiled. "Okay little me. Lead the way."

"I'm not little!" Mustang protested, yawning enormously. He waved his hand sleepily and turned to walk back into the house.

 

Once in the living room he walked over to the radio and flipped it on. "Here. Now I'm gunna sleep. Nighty," he said, walking back to his bedroom.

 

Mustang laid on the couch and listened to the soft flute playing emanating from the radio. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep. And though he couldn't, his mind eventually quieted, as he listened to the music all night long.

 _At least I can still hear_ he thought.  _That meanie couldn't take that from me. At least... I'm still alive..._

 _...even if I've lost_ everything...


	6. Aunt Chris

"Sttteeeeellllll I'm huunnnggrrryyyy!" Mustang cried, pulling on Steel's shirt.

Steel just grunted and said, "That's all for today. Sorry Mustang," he said, looking down at the hungry boy, then back at the icebox

"But there's more food!" Mustang said, pointing at the frozen packages within. "Come on, just cook some more!"

Steel bit his lip. That food... Steel was pretty sure it wasn't supposed to be  _grey._ Gods only knew how old it was...

 

"Sorry kiddo," he said, slamming the lid shut again. "That's gotta last us, remember? Until someone shows up."

"My aunt said she'd be here today though!" Mustang said. "She was gunna visit mommy!"

"Then we'll save the food for her," Steel said resolutely. "Come on, let's go outside and wait for her."  _Maybe that will distract his hunger..._ Steel thought.

"Oh ffiiinnneee," Mustang said, sighing and turning. Then he got a mischievious grin and said, "Last one there's a rotten egg!" he said, dashing off.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Steel shouted, turning to run after the boy. He noticed that Mustang took the long way around to the living room, pointedly ignoring the stink of the office.

 

It'd been five days since the murder, and neither Roy could bear to even go in the room, much less bury the parents. Steel still didn't want Mustang to see what Envy had done to them, but he could hardly take the corpses out on his own. So there they sat, decomposing and filling the area with the scent of death. 

No one had stopped by since the incident, and Steel was honestly getting worried. Didn't the Mustangs have jobs? Why had no one noticed?

He pinned his hopes on this mysterious aunt. So outside they went, and sat on the lawn waiting.

 

"So what time was she supposed to come over?" Steel asked, idly rubbing a piece of grass between his finger, enjoying that he could at least feel  _that_. He could faintly feel the breeze blowing through the lawn, but not the warmth of it, nor the intensity of the summer sun beating down. He knew it was warm only because Mustang was flushed from it, especially since he kept jumping up and dashing over to look at something before sitting back down.

 

"Uhhhhh afternoon?? A bit before school ends?" Mustang said. 

Then he chuckled and said, "Hey, think I'll have to do school after this??"

Steel rolled his eyes. "Yes bonehead. Everyone has to do school."

Mustang stuck out his tongue. "Well that means you too metalhead!"

"Booooo, strangers shouldn't have to do school!" Steel protested.

"You're not a stranger! You're my twin!" Mustang said.

"Your five-year-older twin," Steel reminded him.

It was Mustang's turn to roll his eyes. "You dun  _look_ five years older! You just are wearing weirdo armor!"

 

"It's my skin," Steel said quietly. "Not armor."

Mustang rolled his eyes. " _So what?_ It looks like armor with weird red eyes!"

Steel blinked, then started to laugh. "I guess you're right! So that's our cover- I'm your older brother who wears armor?"

Mustang nodded. "Yep yep! Anndd ffiinnnee you can be older," he said, sticking his tongue out again. "Just means your dumber!"

"How does that begin to work," Steel said flatly. "Shouldn't I be the  _smarter_ one?"

"It just does! So there!" Mustang said, and Steel just started laughing. It wasn't long before Mustang joined in, laughing as though nothing had happened. As if...

 

Mustang had been... acting normal. "Hey Steel, let's play hide-and-go-seek! Hey Steel, when's dinner? Hey bro, whatcha reading??" Not crying. He hadn't cried once.

Steel couldn't, which made it easier. He just... listened to the radio, read the books not in the study, played with Mustang. They would run around the yard or play knights or just wrestle, like it was just a normal day, like their parents were watching from the windows, smiling at them.

It hadn't hit them, not yet. 

 

Then a car pulled up in the driveway.

 

Mustang's head snapped up and he cried out, "Aunt Chris!" 

He ran over as a older woman stepped out of the car, dressed in what could be called outlandish clothes. But she smiled when Mustang approached, and said, "Hello there Roy, howya doing? Where your parents?" she said, looking around. 

Then she spotted Steel and her smile turned confused. "Whose this?"

 

Steel walked up, shaking slightly. "Miss... Chris? His parents... they're... they're..." he started to shake violently, the red glow that was his eyes wavered.

Aunt Chris looked down at Mustang, then up at Steel. "What happened boy?" she asked softly. 

"They... a monster attacked..." Steel started.

"Monster?" Aunt Chris asked.

Mustang nodded. "A scary boy! He- he could make his hands into knives!"

"Knives," she said. "Uh huh."

"He could do more than that," Steel said darkly. "He could turn into this giant dog-thing. He... he bit my parents in two..."

 

At that Aunt Chris' eyes widened. "He- what? Bitten in half?

Steel nodded. "He- he just showed up... attacked my home... he killed- he killed-" Steel's voice started to waver, his eyes dying out. "He murdered them," he whispered. "But it wasn't enough. Not just to take my parents... he killed... he killed Mustang's as well...." he said, pointing to the boy.

Aunt Chris looked down at Mustang. "Is that true Roy?"

Roy had been smiling, but now it fell. "Y-yes. He... he hurt them... he hurt them... they're... they haven't come out of the study... it's been days... they're... they need help..."

It crashed over Steel and Aunt Chris at the same time that Mustang hadn't actually realized what happened. Or hadn't processed it.

 

Steel exploded first. "Mustang they're DEAD! D-E-A-D dead! They're torn- Envy tore them in half!"

"He  _what?_ " Aunt Chris asked, blinking.

Steel looked away. "Not... quite. But their stomachs... he ripped them out... their ey-"

"That's enough," she said, as Mustang began to shake, eyes wide. "Show me."

 

Steel nodded roboticly and led her into the house. She paused once she entered the living room, mouth curling in disgust. "What is that  _smell?_ "

"Them. I think. I can't smell," Steel said.

"You can't smell?" Aunt Chris asked.

"Uh- he's armored! So his sense of smell's off!" Mustang said quickly. 

"Armor?" Aunt Chris asked. "Then why does his face move?"

"Uh... uh..." Mustang stuttered, eyes pinballing.

"It's my skin," Steel said. "But it's hollow," he said, hitting his chest. A small ringing sounded, and Aunt Chris' eyes widened.

"What are you?" she asked quietly.

 

Steel turned to face her. "I'm Roy Steel," he said, looking far older then his ten years. "My parents were murdered in a house exactly like this one by a monster called Envy. Then we... traveled through a portal, and ended up here..."

"A portal? And your name's Roy too..." she said, looking between the boys. "You look like twins, almost..." she said.

"We're alternate universe twins!" Mustang said brightly. "He's me! Just- bigger!"

"And made of metal, apparently," Aunt Chris said.

"Carbon," Steel said. "I think. But it doesn't matter. This way," he said, walking towards the study.

 

He stopped in front of the door and said, "They're in here. The sight..."

Aunt Chris just nodded and gently pushed Steel aside. She peeked through the door, and Steel heard her try not to retch. 

She looked back at them, then said with a voice that just barely wavered, "Well, it seems like my visit will be cut short. But you boys can't just stay here forever. Come along to my place, for now."

 

Mustang hung behind though. "B-but..." he muttered. "What about Mom and Dad?"

"We'll see about having them buried," Aunt Chris said. "I'll call-"

"Buried?! They're fine! They're alive!" Mustang said, spinning and dashing though the door.

 

"Roy, no!" Aunt Chris cried, but Steel whirled around and ran after Mustang.

He caught the little boy before he reached the corpses, but not in time to stop him from  _seeing_ them.

"Mom! Dad! Let me go!" Mustang cried, shaking violently in Steel's arms. "I have to- they can't be- noooooooo!" he cried out, knees giving out. 

Steel dragged him back out of the room, face still. Mustang just sobbed in his arms, holding his face and howling. No words came out, just this inconsolable wailing.

 

Steel just stared straight ahead at the corpses. They were even worse than before, maggots having settled in their open chest cavity, skin starting to turn colors. He looked at them but saw his own parents getting killed, over and over again.

 

Aunt Chris watched them both shut down, and sighed.

She walked over and picked up both of them, holding one in each arm. "Come along boys," she said.   
"Let's go home."


	7. Shock

_They're dead... they're really dead..._ Steel thought, staring forward at the front seat of the car. Beside him Mustang sat curled up, still crying.

_They can't- of course they're dead you moron, you KNEW that!_

But knowing and realizing are two different things. And now that the mansion receded in the distance, it finally hit the two boys that they were completely, and utterly, alone.

 

"What will happen to us," Steel whispered, mouth not moving.

Aunt Chris looked back in the rear-view mirror. "You boys will stay with me. Roy is my nephew. As for you- what was your name?" she asked.

"Roy," he replied, looking down. "But just call me Steel."

"Steel. You'll stay with me as well, until I sort out what happened to you."

 

"I  _told_ you what happened," Steel said, monotone voice edged with crossness. "I came from Earth, and went through a portal, and now I'm here in this stupid body," he said, eyes flickering on to glare at his hands.

 

Aunt Chris just sighed, and looked forward at the road. The tale was unbelievable, but so was the boy. He was hollow, his eyes were nothing but two red dots, and he looked  _exactly_ like Roy, only a bit taller. Could it be he really came from another world, one like this one?

 

"So are all your kind hollow armor?" she asked, flashing a glance at him.

Steel shook his head. "No- it's a long story, but I met this demon. In exchange for coming here, I lost my real body..." he said, slowly realizing as he said it what had really happened.

"You made a deal with the devil? At your age?" Aunt Chris asked.

Steel just nodded slowly. "I- I didn't wanna, but I didn't want to be stuck  _there._ "

"There?"

"This white void... it's where the demon lived," Steel explained. "When I fell through the portal with Envy, I ended up there first, then came here."

 

Aunt Chris took a deep breathe. "And that creature, was it from your world?"

"I- I don't know..." Steel said, looking to the side. "I've never- we don't have shapeshifters there. Is that a thing here?" he said, looking at Aunt Chris in the mirror.

"No boy, they don't exist."

 _But this thing apparently does,_ she said to herself.  _No human made those marks. No animal either. Those marks... on the walls... on their bodies... like a sword, but it was too blunt..._

 

Out loud she added, "It doesn't matter where it came from. What happened after he- the parents-"

"We don't know. I took Mustang and teleported-"

"Teleported?" Aunt Chris asked.

"Y-ya. Using those magic circle thingys."

"Magic cir- you mean transmutation circles?' she asked.

"I-I guess?" Steel said, rubbing his head. "They were weird- I saw them when I met. That demon- it's complicated- but I used one to teleport."

"I've never heard of alchemy like  _that_ ," she said. 

"Well it was like when I went through the portal," Steel said. "Only with skipping seeing the demon again."

 

Aunt Chris just struggled to understand how any of this was even  _possible_. But eventually she said, "Well, whatever happened, and however you came here, you're welcome to stay with me as long as you like. I won't see a little boy wander off on his own."

"Thanks," Steel said. "I- thank you..." he said, looking down.

 

He fell silent, his face once again going still, like a mask. Aunt Chris just drove on, heading towards the city in the distance.

 

In the backseat, the boys retreated to their private worlds of pain. They didn't notice when the scenery changed from countryside to the start of houses, from that to the outskirts of the city, to the city center proper. They didn't notice when Aunt Chris led them to the upper level apartment next to a rather shady-looking bar, or when she led them to the guest room. They didn't notice when she left to go get them clothes and food, leaving Mustang curled up in a ball on the bed and Steel sitting guard, face still still. They didn't notice when she returned with clothes to try on, or when she finally made them dinner. They didn't notice  _anything_.

 

They just... stared.

Mustang had stopped crying, joining Steel in simply staring straight ahead at nothing, seeing nothing but the memories in their heads, their parents murders repeating over and over again.

 

 

Eventually, Mustang's blinks grew longer, his breathe deeper, and he slowly fell asleep. Steel however remained awake, staring at his position at the foot of the bed, body not moving a shred. Why would it? It was just a shell...

 

Eventually Aunt Chris came in and saw Steel. She opened her mouth to speak, then noticed the distinct lack of breathing from Steel, how he was still as a statue. "You aren't alive, are you boy?" she muttered.

She blinked when Steel turned his head farther than a head should to look at her. "I'm alive," he said, voice flat. "I'm just not human. Not anymore."

"Then what are you?" she asked.

Steel just stared straight ahead. "I... I don't know..." he said, his voice cracking and sounding even more child-like than it already was. He curled up a bit on himself, and said, "I- I don't know. I'm not human... am I... am I-" he looked up at Aunt Chris. "Am I a monster now?"

Aunt Chris sighed, and walked over to hug Steel. "You're not a monster," she muttered. "You're just a little boy..." she said, as Steel's body was wracked with sobs from invisible tears. "Just a boy... whose been through a lot..." she said, realizing itself as she said it. "Just a boy...."

 

Eventually, she leaned back and said, "Can't sleep?"

"No," Steel said. "Really can't. Do you... have a radio?" he asked. He liked listening to tunes, it helped him... helped him forget.

Aunt Chris nodded. "In the living room. Want me to bring it in here?" she asked.

"I don't... want to wake Mustang..." Steel said, biting his lip.

"Alright," Aunt Chris said, standing up. "What do you like to listen to?" she said, walking out of the room.

Steel followed her into the tiny living room, and sat down on the guady-floral couch. "Um... music... uh... the instrument kind."

"Classic, eh? Not common around here, but it works," she said, turning on the radio to the news, and twisting the dial to end up on a soft instrumental station. "That good?" she asked.

Steel nodded, and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. "Thank you, Miss. Chris."

"Call me Aunt Chris," she said. "You're Roy's brother now, Steel. I'm your aunt too."

Steel opened one eye. "Thank you," he said, voice husky. "I just- thank you."

"It's nothing. Now have a good night," she said, waving a hand and disappearing deeper into the apartment.

 

Steel just closed his eyes again and let the music fill his empty head.  _They're gone... they're gone... they're gone... but I'm still here..._ he thought.  _I'm... still here.... alone..._

Then the image of Roy and Aunt Chris flashed before his eyes, and he smiled a little.  _Maybe not... that alone... ya... I guess I have a family now... I have them now, at least..._

_But I want Mom and Dad...._

But he knew he'd never have them again.


	8. Home

"Alright boys, you need to eat something," Aunt Chris said, crossing her arms. 

Both boys just stared at their food, not moving. It was a few days later, and neither boy had reacted to much of anything anymore. Steel just stayed in the living room sitting like a statue, while Mustang stayed in bedroom curled up on bed.

Aunt Chris had managed to get Mustang to drink some water, but getting Mustang to eat was impossible, he was like a limp noddle. While Steel...

 

"I. Can't. Eat. How many times do I have to say it?" he said crossly, looking up at Aunt Chris.

"Then why are you so tired?" she said. "You barely  _move_ , and don't think I haven't noticed your lack of eye lights."

"I-..." Steel said, looking away. He wasn't sure why he was so exhausted. Every time he changed his expression he felt a wave of pain and exhaustion, same if he activated his eyes. Moving his arms and legs wasn't too hard, as long as he just went along with the puppet joints, but his instincts were still to alter them like he still had muscles.

 

He sighed. "Look, the last meal you gave me just sat fell into my body. I had to tear open my stomach to remove the rotting smell!" he said hotly.

Aunt Chris just humphed. "Well you need some energy, obviously. But we'll brainstorm later. Now Roy," she said, turning to look at Mustang, " _You_ eat. I made your favorite meal, now don't waste it," she said indicating to the breaded chicken tenders and potato wedges on the table.

Mustang just stared forward blankly, and muttered, "I'm not hungry."

Aunt Chris sighed, but Steel just looked at him. "Hey Mustang... how about this. You eat a tender or two, and I tell you a story from my world," he said. Before Aunt Chris showed up, he seemed to love that.

 

Mustang didn't move for a long, long moment. Just when Aunt Chris was going to speak again, he picked up a tender and took a bite of it, chewing for a minute before swallowing. "Okay. Story," he said.

"Uh uh bro, you need to eat the whole thing," Steel said, crossing his arms. "Then I tell the story."

Mustang didn't move, but eventually whispered, "Talk. Then I'll eat."

 

Steel sighed and began talking. "There's this detective called Sherlock Holmes..." he started, recalling from memory one of Sherlock's many adventures. As he spoke, Mustang slowly started to eat again at a snail's pace. Steel tried to drag it out as long as possible, but he was wracking his brain for details. He eventually fell silent, and Mustang dropped his arms. He had eaten a tender and a half, but that was it.

"Can I go to bed?" he asked Aunt Chris, not looking up. 

She sighed. "You sleep too much. Why don't you join Steel on the couch?"

Mustang stayed silent, but eventually nodded. He stood up and jerkily moved to the living room, taking a seat on the couch.

 

Steel got up and walked over as well, taking his usual position, head leaned back and body frozen. Aunt Chris turned on the radio to the news, and retreated to the kitchen to clean up the wasted food, grumbling slightly under her breathe.

 

 

The boys sat still for what felt like an eternity. Steel wanted to speak up, to say something, but he didn't know what to do. He had mostly recovered from what happened- or as much as he ever would- but Mustang seemed still trapped in his mind. 

They listened to the news prattle on about border wars, various events around Central, and the weather. Nothing too interesting.

 

Mustang broke the silence first. "They're gone," he said, staring down at the hands on his lap.

Steel just grunted. "Ya." What was there to say to that?

"What now," he asked.

Steel looked at him. "We live here, I guess."

"But..." Mustang said, biting his lip. "This isn't home," he whispered. "I wanna go  _home_."

Steel sighed. "Me too...." he said. A pang ran through him. He'd never go home- he didn't have enough body to lose to get back.

"Why are we staying here. We were fine there!" he said, voice growing louder. "We were fine!"

Steel blinked. "Bro, we barely had anything to eat. We couldn't... we couldn't survive on our own."

"Says who?" Mustang said fiercely. "You can cook. We just..."

"But we were out of edible food. And I don't know how to buy any. We'd starve."

 

Mustang just looked down and said fiercely, "I just wanna go back. I  _hate_ this place. I hate all of this! I just want everything to go back to normal!"

Steel would have bit his lip, but he lacked the energy. "They won't Mustang... I'm sorry...."

"Why don't we go to another world?! One where they're alive!" Mustang said, looking at Steel with fierce eyes.

Steel blinked. "N-no. We'll die!"

"You can teleport," Mustang argued. "Why can't we teleport to another world?!"

 

"Because Truth will kill me!" Steel exclaimed. "I can't- bro I don't have a body to lose!"

Mustang looked down. "I'll lose enough for both of us."

Steel shook his head vehemently. "No.  _No_. I won't let you do that! The trip cost me my entire body, both of us would kill you!"

"Then we'll find a way!" he said. "You said alchemy is what did it?! We'll learn it and figure out something that will work!"  He quieted and added, "We have to. I can't... live like this..."

 

"Is that what you've been stewing over?" Steel asked. Mustang nodded. "Bro... we can't. We just  _can't_. Give it time..."

"I don't wanna give it time! I want Mom and Dad back!" he exclaimed. "Don't you?!" he asked.

Steel looked away, eyelights fading. "Of course I do," he said huskily. "But I don't wanna die."

"We'll figure something out," Mustang said, eyes gleaming. "We just needa try!"

 

"You boys will do no such thing," Aunt Chris said, entering the room. "I won't see you two killed!"

"It won't kill us!" Mustang said, eyes hot. "I'll figure it out!"

"Even if you go, it won't be your parents," Aunt Chris argued. "It'll be another Roy's."

"Better than nothing," Mustang said, looking away.

"Do you really hate it here that much?" Aunt Chris asked. 

Mustang nodded harshly. "This place stinks! It's so noisy, it's cramped, it's stupid! I wanna go home!!"

"About that," she said, moving to sit down in one of the plump chairs. "The house is legally mine now. We  _could_ move back."

 

Steel and Mustang looked at her with wide eyes. "Really?" Mustang asked breathy.

"Yes. My business is here, but I can commute.  _But,_ " she said, eyes narrowing. "There's one condition."

"What is it?!" the two boys asked in unison.

"You give up this insane plan. I don't want to lose you two," she said, her normally gruff voice taking on a softer tone.

The boys looked at each other. "Whatcha say bro?" Steel asked softly. "We'll be home again."

Mustang looked to the side slightly, but then his eyes met Steel's. He nodded. "I won't let us die," he said.

 _That's not a no_ Steel thought, but he just nodded in return. "Alright bro. Let's go home," he said.

Aunt Chris sighed and said, "We'll drive out tomorrow. But now,  _eat something_. You're starting to look thin," she said.

Mustang nodded. "Alright," he said, hopping up. "Steel?" he asked.

Steel sighed. "I can't bro. I wanna, but I can't..."

 

Mustang frowned for a moment, then his eyes lit up. "You use alchemy to move, right?"

Steel blinked. "How did you-"

"I see that little blue sparks every now and again. That's alchemy! But I think- whats the name of it... equal thingy?"

"Equivalent Exchange," Aunt Chris said. She tilted her head and rubbed her chin. "If you do move with alchemy, what energy are you using?"

"I- I dunno? Magic requires energy?"

Aunt Chris nodded. "I don't understand it much, but..."

"But Dad did! He has books of it in his study! Maybe we can find something?" Roy said.

 

Steel and Aunt Chris looked at each other. "The room is a disaster. I'll retrieve the usable books. But you aren't to enter it, understand?"

The Roys nodded. "Yes ma'am!"

"Good," she said, standing up. "Now for that food, and tomorrow, I'll take you home."


	9. Alchemy

"Right, this should be all the usable ones," Autn Chris said, walking in with a stack of books, Steel following. He had insisted on helping her, cause the smell of the room didn't bother him, and he had already seen the blood. It was decided between the two that Mustang wouldn't be allowed back inside to prevent another catatonic state- even with his parents removed in preparation for the funeral on Monday, it was still was filled with blood and reeked of death. 

:"Well have to gut the room," Aunt Chris muttered when they first entered it. "Better grab anything you want from here, it'll all be tossed otherwise," she said, looking at Steel. 

Steel nodded, saying, "Right. And I'll ask Mustang what he wants from here too."

That turned out to be a collection of model cars his Dad had. He played with them in the living room while the two of them worked, utterly absorbed in the task. He looked like a normal five-year-old, just playing with his toys as though nothing had happened. It made Aunt Chris smile.

 

Mustang looked up when they finished carrying the books in and jumped up. "Right, now let's look up this alchemy stuff!" he said, opening an old, worn book. He flipped through it at random, and as he read his face fell. "Uh... what are all these big words...?"

Steel walked over and looked himself. "I... I have no idea. What does isoelectric mean??" he said, looking up at Aunt Chris.

She shrugged. "Something chemical, that's all I know. You boys are about ten years too young to study this," she said.

"I won't give up that easily! There's gotta be a book we can read!" Mustang cried, dropping the book and turning to grab another one. Steel caught the book before it hit the floor and deposited it on a stack. "Bro, these are all adulty-books. We need kid's books."

"There aren't any child alchemy books," Aunt Chris stated. "You're too young to learn this!"

 

The boys looked between each other, then at her. "But we  _have_ to, to help Steel!" Mustang said. "He's an alchemy thingy!"

Steel nodded and said, "I know we're too young, but I- I need to learn this."

Aunt Chris sighed. She stared at the wall and muttered, "What do I do..."

 

She stood there for a moment, then said, "Well, you'll need a teacher then. I'll see if I can find one for you, Steel."

"What about me?" Mustang protested.

Aunt Chris' face hardened. "You're too young. You barely know how to count boy, much less know complicated chemical formuli."

"I can learn!" Mustang protested, standing there with his fists balled and his face resolute. "Just try and stop me!"

Aunt Chris shook her head. "No teacher would take you, you're too young."

Mustang just glared at her, but Steel suddenly looked up from his book search. "I could teach you," he said.

 

"Huh?" Mustang asked. 

"Alchemy. I'll learn it and teach you. Then you can show off to the teacher and he'll take you on as a pupil!"

"Ya! Great idea Steel!" he said, giving the other Roy a high-five.

Aunt Chris bit her lip. "First, I need to find a teacher Roy-boy."

The Roys looked at each other. "Which one do you mean?" they asked. She'd been saying just Roy all week, but they never were sure which one she meant. Not that it mattered when they were ignoring everything.

"Roy. Mustang as you say," she replied. "That's his name and I'll refer to him as such."

 

Steel opened his mouth to speak, but Mustang beat him to it. " _His_ name is Roy too!" he said, pointing at Steel. "You can't just call one of us Roy! And two Roys makes no sense!"

"Just call him Mustang and me Steel," Steel said. "It makes a lot more sense!"

Aunt Chris looked at the two of them, then started chuckling. "If you two insist. Now Mustang, how about helping sort these books?" she said. "I'm going to go make some calls."

The boys looked at each other. "Which what?" they asked.

"Your parent's telephone," she said.

"They had a telephone?!" the Roys exclaimed. "Where?!"

"The study," she replied. At that the two boys quieted and nodded. No wonder they never found it.

"Now, you two behave while I'm gone," she said, walking out of the room.

 

Roy and Roy looked at each other, then the stacks off books littered on the rugged floor. 

Steel started to sigh, but at the wave of pain stopped and simply said, "Let's get sorting bro."

Mustang nodded, and they started to look through the books.

 

It didn't take long for them to get stuck though. "What does ultilitarion mean?" Mustang asked.

"I dunno," Steel said. "What does macroeconomics mean?"

"I dunno. How do we sort these?"

"Um... how about, alchemy in one stack, books with numbers in another, and books with too-big words in another?" Steel suggested.\

Mustang nodded. "Okay!"

 

They got started. Slowly the stacks grew, with too-big-words getting steadily higher and higher, till it was almost the same high as Mustang. "Uh... maybe we should make two word stacks," he said, watching as the books started to teeter a little. 

"Good idea. Hey, what stack does this go in?" he asked, showing the book to Mustang. "It has numbers, but it talks about circles...?"

"Um... does it have any pictures? The alchemy books normally do."

"Uh..." Steel said, flipping through it. "Doesn't look like it. Number stack?"

"Number stack," Mustang confirmed, and there it went.

 

When Aunt Chris came back, they had everything sorted and sitting aainst the cabinets on the far wall. The two boys were beaming- well Mustang was, Steel was still frozen in his emotionless state- and pointed to the stacks. "All sorted!" they crowed.

Aunt Chris looked over at them. "What do those piles mean?" she asked.

"Too-long words pile, alchemy pile, and numbers pile!" they recieted.

Aunt Chris blinked, then started to chuckle. The two boys watched, faces slowly falling.

"What's so funny?" Mustang asked.

 

Aunt Chris managed to say, "That isn't quite what I had in mind, but how would you tell economics from physics from law? Alright. The stacks will stay until you boys are old enough to sort them properly. Now, I have my girls on the look-out for any news of alchemy teachers, but it'll be a few days before I hear anything."

"Girls?" the boys asked. "You have daughters?"

Aunt Chris laughed uproarisly at that. "No! My employees, the girls at the bar."

"So  _you_ own that shady bar?" Steel asked.

"Yes I do. And you two will learn nothing of it until you're adults. So no more questions."

"But-" they started, but Aunt Chris' face made them fall silent.

 

"Alright," Steel muttered. "Doesn't matter."

"What until then though?! Steel's getting worse!" Mustang exclaimed.

"What do you mean?" the two of them asked.

"Your face is getting crumbly!" Mustang said, pointing at Steel's cheek.

Steel raised his hand to his cheek and felt the powder there. "Good eye bro," he muttered. "But why...?"

 

"Whatever energy you use must be running out," Aunt Chris said. She sighed and said, "I know someone who might be able to help. Come on, Steel, Mustang. We're going for a ride," she said, striding outside.

"Who we seeing?!" Mustang cried, running after her.

"Master Hawkeye," she replied. "An old curmudgeon, but the best alchemist in the area. If anyone can help, he can."

The two boys looked at each other. "Hope so..." Steel mutters. "I don't think I can last long like this..."

Mustang grabbed his hand. "We'll figure it out bro, don't worry."

Steel tried to smile, but his eyes died at the pain of it. "Of course bro. Thanks."

Mustang made a noise of distress, but the Aunt Chris called for them to hurry up, so they raced out to the car.


	10. Hawkeye

"Go away, I don't want visitors," a gruff voice said behind a closed door.

"Master Hawkeye, be reasonable. It's a matter of someone's life!" Aunt Chris said.

"Then go to a doctor! Why do you want my help?!"

"Because it's alchemy related!" Aunt Chris said. "And you're the best around!"

"There other alchemists, go bother them! Leave me alone," he said.

Aunt Chris growled slightly, then said, "If it's money you want, we have it."

 

There was a pause, then the door cracked. "It won't be cheap," the gruff voice said.

Aunt Chris snorted. "Of course not. But my boy's health matters more to me than money. May we come in?" she asked.

"Yes. But those boys better behave!" he said, opening the door to reveal an middle-aged man with a frown on his face.

"We will!" Mustang said, Steel just nodding. His eyelights hadn't turned back on, and he felt like his body was made of lead- it was all he could do to keep standing.

 

Hawkeye looked at Steel and said, "What kind of abomination is that?!"

"That's what we're here to talk to you about," Aunt Chris said. "He-"

"I won't deal with anyone whose done human transmutation," Haweye said, starting to close the door, but Aunt Chris slammed her hand into it, knocking it back.

"This boy hasn't commited that crime! He's just-"

"I came through a portal and got this strange body. But it's falling apart- please, help me," he said, his voice wavering.

 

"Portal, huh?" Hawkeye asked. "You didn't try to raise the dead?"

Steel shook his head. "I just... came from my world to this one."

"Another world... hmm. I must question you father. Now about your body," he said, looking  Steel over and said, "You're what, made of charcol? No wonder you're so flaky."

"It wasn't... like this before..." he said. "It was smoother, like metal."

"Still black?" Hawkeye asked. Steel nodded. "Hmm, carbonate then. Huh. Come in then, I want to study you."

 

He opened the door and Steel obediently came in. Mustang followed close on his heels, but Aunt Chris paused. "So you just want to study him?" she asked, voice acidic. 

"Hmph. I need to figure out what's wrong with him first. That requires some examinations."

"Long as he doens't crumble to dust before that," Aunt Chris warned. 

"When did he start flaking?" Hawkeye asked.

"This morning," she replied.

 

 

Hawkeye drew in a sharp breathe. "Right, so we have little time. Boy!" he called, striding down the entrance hallway to where the Roys sat in a wide open sitting room/library combo. "When did you come here?!"

"Uh... five days ago?" Steel replied. "And my name's Steel."

"Funny. And you only started detorating now?"

Steel nodded minutely. "Ya, this morning."

"How are you moving at all?" he asked. "You said your problem was alchemical. Show me your transmutation circle," he said.

"The magic circle? Um..." he said, looking around for a paper and pencil. Hawkeye grunted and shoved a notebook and pen in his hands. "Be quick!" he said.

 

Steel drew out a set of three circles with a pentagram in the center. "Here," he said, handing the notebook back.

Hawkeye studied it for a moment, then said, "Bah! No wonder you're falling apart. This circle is incomplete!"

 

He quickly scribbled something down. "You have no energy source- no limits to the energy used either. What, were you burning your body's energy?" he asked.

"I- I guess? I've been really tired..." Steel said, looking down.

"Fool. You don't even know how to use alchemy do you?"

Steel shook his head. "I was hoping you'd teach me..."

"I don't take morons. Here," he said, shovig the notebook back in Steel's hands. Many symbols were added to the drawing, along with a six-point star in the center with a small dragon in the center. "This will control the energy better," he said, pointing to the symbols. "And this will burn material for energy. You'll be a little furnace, but it's the best way for now. Now," he said, standing up, "Give me your hand."

Steel obediently gave him his right hand, and Hawkeye grabbed a penknife. Before anyone could react, he stabbed Steel's hand.

 

"What on Earth are you doing?!" Aunt Chris cried, stidin forward from her position in the hallway. "You'll hurt him!"

"Carbon doesn't feel pain," Hawkeye said. "I need to enscribe the transmutation circle on his body, or it won't work."

"I  _can_ feel you know," Steel said. "But that didn't hurt."

"Why would you? Pain is the body's signal that it's being injured. But this won't do anything to a creature who can change it's body's composition," Hawkeye said.

  
"Huh?" Steel asked.

Hawkeye rolled his eyes. "You really are an idiot. You can change between carbonate and charcole. That means you can reform yourself, so injuries mean nothing to you. Now," he said, dropping Steel's hand. "Activate the circle."

 

Steel looked down at the cuts in his hand, barely able to be seen, and squinted his eyes.  _Come on... work!_ he thought.

Nothing happened. Hawkeye grunted. "Come on boy! Picture what will happen in your mind! You'll draw energy from whatever food is inside you to repair your body!"

"But there's no food in me," he said, looking up.

"Wha- must I do everything?!" Hawkeye said, going over to the fireplace grabbing a small piece of wood. "Here," he said, shoving it at Roy. "Swallow. You have no esophagus anyways I'll be bound."

Steel blinked, then slowly tilted his head back and let the wood fall into his core. It was counter-intuative, but he didn't gag or really swallow, just letting gravity do it's work.

"Right. Now, picture in your mind the effect and the circle to active it," Hawkeye said, crossing his arms. "Hurry up!" he said when Steel hesitated.

 

"Right, right!" Steel said quickly. He stared at the circle, picturing the wood inside him catching fire, the blue light racing over his body and turning it solid. When that didn't work, he wracked his brain for what he did before. An image of a bunch of letters and numbers appeared in his mind- chemistry. The chemical formula!

His eyes blazed on as blue light raced over his skin, hardening it and altering his form till it looked far more human, the joints dissappearing. The circle on his hand glowed blue, only getting slightly dimmer as the light faded.

 

He stood up and stretched. "Everything- I feel like myself!" he said. He looked at Hawkeye and beamed. "Thank you sir!"

"That's Master to you," he said. "I won't have a pupil of mine address me otherwise."

"Pupil?" Steel asked.

"So you'll take him on?" Aunt Chris asked. 

"This idiot needs supervision," Hawkeye said.

Then he turned his eye to Mustang. "You, boy! You've been watching us. Planning on joining in?" he asked.

Mustang's eyes sparkled. "Yes! I wanna learn it too!"

"Well too bad! I don't take brats!" he replied.

Mustang didn't cower at the shout, instead standing straighter and lifting his chin. "Then I'll teach myself! I don't need an old fart like you! Just watch and see, I'll make that portal and show you all up!"

 

"Enough!" Hawkeye roared. Mustang fell silent, and then Hawkeye continued, "I won't have an idiot like you getting rebounded and killed. You wanna open the Gate of Truth?" he asked, looking at the boy. "Only fools do that," he said.

Roy shook his head. "Nah, I dun wanna see that demon! I wanna do portals like Steel does!"

"Huh?" Hawkeye asked, looking at Steel. "You mean the human transmutation circle?" 

"It's not human transmutation! It's teleportation! Here, I'll show you," Steel said, taking a step forward and disappearing. Hawkeye let out a cry against his will, jumping when Steel reappeared next to Mustang. "How did you do that?!"

 

Steel picked up the fallen notebook and pen from the floor, and quickly scribbled a transmuation circle. "Here," he said. "I saw this in the Gate."

Hawkeye looked over the figure, then took a deep breathe. "I'll have to study this further. But boy, the energy source," he said, tapping the figure and it's runes. "That's human transmutation. I can't allow that, it's illegal. More than that, it's dangerous. You can easily rebound."\

"Rebound?" Steel asked.

Hawkeye sighed. "Come here," he said, walking over the bookcase and pulling out a book, flipping it open to a dog-eared page. "When you rebound, an odd eye opens along with black hands, and steal whatever material they need to balance the equation."

Steel stared at it. "That's it! That's the eye! When I came here, it grabbed me and dragged me to that weird dimension!"

"So you rebounded, and ended up here?" Hawkeye asked. "Huh. That's how you lost your body then."

"But Envy seemed fine..." Steel said, scrunching his brow.

"Envy?" Hawkeye asked.

 

"It's a long story..." Steel started.

"Well then you'll tell me tomorrow. I expect both of you boys here bright and early for training. Now, begone! I have work to do," he said, walking over to his desk and sitting down.

"Thank you so much!" the Roys cried, then looked at each other. "Race you to the car!" Mustang said, and the two of them took off.

Aunt Chris stayed. "Thank you Master Hawkeye. And for payment?"

Hawkeye scribbled down some numbers and handed them to her. "That's for training too. I assume you'll enroll the boys in school soon?"

She nodded, looking at the numbers, rasing an eyebrow. "Rather steep, don't you think?"

"Consider it a school charge. Don't enroll them, I want them here. I'll teach them alongside my daughter," he said.

"You have a daughter?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes. Now, I expect payment with them tomorrow," he said, turning back to his work.

 

Aunt Chris chuckled. "So direct. So greedy too. But I'll agree to it. Good day, sir," she said, turning and walking out of the room.

On the way to the car she couldn't help but think  _this will end in nothing but ruin for both of them. But if he can prevent Roy from going off and doing someting stupid, it may be for the best..._


	11. Master

"Alright!" Master Hawkeye barked at the two Roys, who stood at attention- literally- in front of him. "First thing! You will take these tests. Complete as much as possible. Get to it!" he snapped, and the boys jumped and hurried over to the desk where there were two stacks of paper with a pen next to each of them. 

"No pencil?" Mustang asked, looking up at Master Hawkeye.

"No talking!" he barked, and Mustang yipped and got to work.

 

Steel had already started, easily filling out the first page of basic arithmetic equations and vocabuary. He turned the completed page over when he caught Mustang peeking, and continued on to the second page.

This one was a little harder, consisting mostly of complicated word problems and pre-algebra. Steel struggled through it, not sure if he was getting anything correct.

He saw out of the corner of his eye that Mustang took one look at the second page and gave up in despair. He didn't blame the kid- he was what, in primary school? And this stuff...

Then Steel turned over to the next page and blinked. He had  _no idea_ what any of it meant. X, y, z, a, b, c... these didn't belong next to numbers! He had managed to solve something basic like 2x=10, that was simple division, but this? x^{5}-3x+1=0? He hadn't the foggiest.

The next page was worse, this time consisting of the little two-letter words with tiny numbers. Steel closed his eyes and flashes from the Gate came rushing back to him. "Okay... that's potassium... that's dihydrogen carbonate... that's... I don't have a clue..."

However, this weird fusion thingy between them baffled him, even with his gate knowledge. 

The last page he actually exclaimed, "Hey, this is alchemy, no fair!"

"No talking! Or I'll fail you outright!" Master said.

 

Steel just sighed and pushed the papers back. He couldn't do anything else.

He snuck a glance over at Mustang and frowned. He was still struggling through the first page.

Master eventually grunted and pulled the paper from his hands. He took one look and said, "Pathetic! My daughter can do far more than just this," he said.

 

"You have a daughter?!" they two boys exclaimed. 

"Yes! Why does everyone say that..." Master muttered. Then shaking his head, he called out, "Riza! Get in here!"

 

After a moment a small blond girl with piercing blue eyes entered the room. "Yes father?" she said.

He pointed at Mustang and said, "Show him how to do this page!"

Riza nodded and headed over to Mustang. "Here, what are you stuck on?" she asked kindly.

"Uh... this here," he said, pointing at a word problem. "This doesn't make any sense! 3 kids have 3 melons of eight slices each- if each kid loses 17 slices, how many do they have remaining? But they dun have seventeen melons!" he cried.

Riza chuckled softly then said, "No no! They have 24 slices each!"

"Huh?" Mustang said.

She picked up a pen and jotted down the equation. "See, three melons of eight slices. 3x8 is 24." At Mustang's confused face, she said, "You  _do_ know your multiplication table, right?"

"I know most of it!" he said gruffly. "The eights are just confusing..."

 

"Riza, you teach him to do this first page of the test until lunchtime. Understand?" he said.

Riza nodded sharply. "Yes father." Then, softer, she said, "Alright Roy, let's start with that table. What do you remember?"

They started talking, Riza standing next to Mustang as he puzzled over the table and paper.

 

"Now Steel!" he said, looking at the boy who was just watching the two of them converse, "give me your tests."

Steel stood up and walked over to the chair Master was sitting in, and handed him the papers. "Here you go, sir," he said.

"Master," he snapped. "Remember that. Hmm. Seems you know something," he said, flipping through the pages. He raised an eyebrow when he came to the alchemy page. "Where did you learn this?" he asked.

"I... I saw it in the Gate..." Steel muttered.

 

Master frowned. "Right. Tell me, in detail, what exactly you did. You two! Off the desk," he said, getting up and striding over. He shoved Mustang out of his chair, Riza having wisely lept out of the way. "Don't bother us," he said.

Mustang looked up at him and glared, but Master just started looking through his books. Riza bent down next to Mustang and said, "Come on, let's study in my room, I have a desk," she said. Mustang nodded and the two got up and left the room.

 

"Now boy. What happened. First off, what transmutation circle did you use to get here?" he asked, handing Steel the same notebook from yesterday.

Steel traced it out, saying, "It started at my house... this monster, Envy, showed up..."

"Yes. You call it a monster. I guess to kids your age all strangers are monsters," Master said acidly.

Steel bristled. "It was this giant dog-iguana! Here," he said, drawing a crude drawing of Envy's monstrous form. "It looked like this!"

 

Master leaned over and looked. "What are these squiggles?" he asked, pointing to the creature's side.

"Faces... melting faces..." Steel said, looking down. "They were... horrific..."

"Hmph. Interesting..." Master muttered. "And this circle. You drew it?"

"No- it was on the ground- after Envy killed my parents, I chased him to this field-"

 

"Slow down! First, describe this beast," he said, pointing at the drawing of Envy.

Steel took a deep breathe, exhaling smoke. Master cough and waved his hand. "Get some smokeless wood you idiot!"

"Sorry," Steel said. "I just used what they had..."

"Well buy some then! I won't have you smoking around here all day."

Steel nodded. "Um... about Envy..." he said, looking down at the drawing. 

"Yes, explain. Hurry up," Master said, crossing his arms.

 

Steel recited everything he knew, interrupted frequently by Master as he asked questions. He fortunately didn't seem to care a twit about Steel's parents death, instead pressing him for knowledge of the Gate and what lay inside.

"There was this... and this... and this also..." Steel said, sketching what he saw as fast as he could, hand growing shaky as he struggled to recall everything. "Master, my head hurts..." he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Too bad! Keep going!" Master said. "If you can't do this you'll never learn alchemy!"

 

Steel preserved, but eventually his pencil slowed. "I can't- everything else is places and people..."

Master snatched the notebook up and looked through the many pages of figures, chemical signs, and equations. "That's good enough. Go to the kitchen and get some food. At one we'll start your lessons," he said.

 

Steel opened his mouth to say he didn't eat, then closed it. Master was already writing something down in a different notebook, completely absorbed in his work.

He walked into the tiny kitchen and found Mustang and Riza at the small kitchen table, eating sandwitches. The two looked up when Steel arrived.

"Hi bro!" Mustang said brightly. "How was your lesson?!"

Steel just groaned and head-tabled, saying, "My. Brain.  _Hurts_. How long do we stay here?" he asked, turning his head to look at Mustang.

"Until 3pm," Riza said softly. "That's how long our school day lasts. I know my father can be a little... intense..." she said, eyes flickering to the side for a moment, "but he won't hurt you too much if you can't keep up."

"R-right," Mustang said. "I'll be sure to try..." he said, looking a bit scared. "Does... does it hurt alot?" he asked, looking at Riza. She just looked away, not answering.

 

They stayed in silence like that for many minutes, before Steel finally coughed and said, "Is there any wood in here?" he asked, straightening up and looking around.

"Better. There's coal," Riza said, pointing at the coal box in the corner. "Just don't use too much!" she said, as Steel reached in and pulled out a large hunk.

"...okay," he said, putting it down and pulling out a much smaller piece. "Better?"

Riza nodded. "He's always complaining about the price of coal... it'd be better if you just stocked up at home..."

"I'll remember for tomorrow," Steel said, dropping the coal into him and igniting it with a touch to his engraved circle. "Don't wanna make Master mad."

"Smart plan," Riza said flatly.

 

Silence stretched on again, until Mustang said, "Sooo... what school do you go to?" he asked. "Centrals?"

"My father teaches me, as he will teach you," she said.

"Wait- we're stuck here all schoolyear?!" Mustang yelled, though it was muffled by Riza clapping a hand across his face.

"Don't say that! He'll punish you!" she whispered urgently.

 

It was too late. Master Hawkeye appeared in the doorway, looming. "What did I hear you say?" he asked softly, icily.

"U- um...." Mustang said, looking side to side widely. "N-nothing! I didn't saying nothing!"

"I thought I heard you complaining about my teaching. Well, out then," he said, pointing out the door. "Go on," he said, when Mustang hesitated.

"He didn't mean it-" Steel started.

"Let him speak!" Master barked. "Well boy?!"

Mustang stared down. "I want you to teach me," he said through clenched teeth.

 

"Good then. Let's go," he said, turning on his heels and leaving.

The boys watched for a second, then jumped to their feet and hurried after him, Riza following at their heels.

 

"Now! You, study this book," he said, handing Mustang a small primer. "Try to catch up to Riza by the end of the week," he said, giving his daughter another copy, though she opened it to the last third. "You, boy," he said, looking at Steel. "I don't care what that Gate taught you. You'll start alchemy when I'm good and ready to teach you. For now, here," he said, shoving a spelling book in Steel's hands. "Your spelling is atrocious. Now, get to work!" he barked, and everyone scurried to the various chairs in the room to study their books.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am basing the school questions off of what I remember doing in first and fifth grade- whether or not this is ACCURATE is beyond me. Oh well.


	12. Graveside

"Here lies Thomas and Eliza Mustang, honored by family and friends," Mustang read monotone, looking down at the tombstone.

Steel said nothing, simply staying as moral support while Mustang grieved. 

 

The funeral had ended hours ago, and by now only the little trio remained. Aunt Chris had already paid her respects, and now stood in the distance while Mustang paid his. Steel felt like he shouldn't be here, but Mustang hadn't let go of his hand since they arrived at the church, silently asking his brother to stay with him.

 

Steels thoughts were broken by Mustang saying, "They're gone. They're really gone."

Steel nodded. "Ya. You knew that," he said.

"I know that," Mustang said irritably. He closed his eyes and said, "And yours are too...."

Steel looked down. "Ya...." He didn't know how to reply to that.

 

"Do you think all Roy's have dead parents?" Mustang asked.

Steel blinked rapidly. "I dunno. Maybe? But ours were killed by Envy," he said darkly. "We don't know if he's killed the others."

"So they might be alive..." Mustang said, an element of hope creeping in his voice.

Steel gave him a side-eye. "Whats on your mind brother?"

 

"We could find them," he said. "Another set of our Mum and Dad."

"No," Steel said automatically. "No, that's crazy."

Mustang faced him. "Why?" he asked.

Steel just motioned to his body. "Just going from Earth to Amestris did this to me. Do you think we really could go to another world and back again and still be alive?"

"Wasn't it- didn't Master say it was an energy problem?" Mustang asked. "We just need alot of energy!"

Steel shook his head. "No, like- the way Truth talked, it's a kinda toll? Like he does that to be a dick."

 

"But when you teleport you don't see him!" Mustang exclaimed. "So we just need to teleport like that!"

"Pretty sure that's cause I'm still, you know,  _here_. I'm not moving worlds," Steel explained.

Mustang looked down. "But what if we could. Go to another world. Wouldn't it be worth a try?" he asked. "To see another world... to meet another us... it'd be so cool!"

 

Steel sucked in a needless breathe and blew out smoke. "It'll just get us killed," he said. "And how'd we make sure it doesn't?"

"I can go alone! I mean, as a test. I go there and back, and let you know if it's safe!" Mustang exclaimed.

"And if Truth murders you? What will I tell your Aunt?!" 

 

Mustang scowled. "That old bag will be fine."

Steel was taken aback. "Ya really don't like her?"

"She's mean! She never says anything nice to me! Or give me stuff!"

"She gave you a home and clothes," Steel pointed out. "That's not nothing."

Mustang turned away and muttered gruffly, "I don't like her. I just don't."

 

Steel sighed. "Fine. But ya know, you could end up like me, or worse," he said.

Mustang looked at him. "So? You're cool!"

Steel didn't know how to reply to that. "Will you at least promise me that if you end up in Truth's realm, that you come back  _here?_ "

Mustang nodded energetically. "Yep yep! So you'll help me?!" he asked.

Steel sighed again. "It's that or let ya get killed. I at least know how to teleport."

"Yaaayyy!" Mustang said, gripping him tightly in a hug. "This will work, I know it!"

 

 _I really hope so..._ Steel thought. He didn't want his bro ending up like him...


	13. Catch-up

"This is crazy," Riza said after the boys told her their plan. "You want me to steal my father's notes?"

"We need to know what he knows!" Mustang exclaimed. "He's working on that super-duper secret fire alchemy right? Maybe it has stuff about using fire for energy!"

Riza frowned. "Alchemic energy comes from tectonic plates," she said. "You should know that, Roy," she said, giving the boys a disapproving look. "Haven't you been studying?"

 

The Roys sighed. "Yes, but he doesn't teach us  _anything!_ " Mustang exclaimed. "It's been years and we barely know how to draw a circle!"

"Well you should study harder then," Riza said, crossing her arms. "You know his requirements: no alchemy training without good grades in math and chemistry."

"But he won't even teach me chemistry!" Mustang protested. "Why does he let you?!"

Riza looked away, frowning. 

 

"Hey, you know I'm teaching you everything I know," Steel said to Mustang. "And this stuff is hard for me, and I'm fifteen!"

Mustang just grunted. "Being older doesn't make you smarter," he said, crossing his arms. "I can do whatever homework you can, mostly," he said.

"But you still can't pass the tests," Riza said softly. "If you want to catch up to Steel and me you need to."

Mustang stared at the ground. "Easier if he would  _teach_ me trigonometry," he muttered.

 

Steel put a hand on his shoulder. "Cheer up Mustang, you'll get there. You already skipped two grades!"

"But it's not enough! If I wanna make the portal, I need to know a lot more!" Mustang exclaimed.

Steel sighed. His brother never had given up his insane plan...

 

For the first few years Mustang couldn't do much of anything about it. Oh, he'd bug Master to teach him alchemy, and poured over the books he couldn't understand, but he didn't even understand how Steel's teleportation worked, much less how to cross worlds. 

In the fourth year Steel had finally mastered algebra two and could do enough chemistry to finally start to learn alchemy.

Or well, learn that alchemy was  _complicated_  and required massive amounts of memorization. So far he knew everything about the carbons and combustion- alchemy he needed to survive- and was working on basic earth and metal alchemy. Master insisted that he knew a little of every alchemy type in case of emergency.

 

Master never discussed Steel's teleportation alchemy however. He denounced it as false alchemy, and eventually Steel realized he didn't understand how it worked. Steel barely did himself. After three years all he had managed to figure out was that the energy source defaulted to bodily energy- or whatever the interlocked pentagons indicated. He had tried Amestrian energy but it kept causing rebounding, taking some of his carbon body.

He started storing excess coal in his hollow limbs for emergency repairs when it did. He eventually figured out that if he used up enough coal he could teleport without pain, slightly altering his circle to include the fire symbols.

 

Which was why they were bugging Riza now.

 

"Flame alchemy is what keeps Steel alive, it's powerful!" Mustang exclaimed. "And it never rebounds, it just eats up more coal! If we had enough..."

"But it would take a mountain to cross worlds!" Riza protested. "It cost a day's worth just to teleport thrity feet! How will you ever get enough?"

"That's why we need his notes!" Mustang exclaimed. "Maybe he has some way of getting more energy from less!"

Riza looked away and shrugged. "If he catches me..." she faltered. 

 

"Why not just copy them then?" Steel asked. "Just copy the notes, that way he doesn't miss them."

Riza blinked. "That... could work... but they're all encrypted!" she exclaimed. "How will you read them?"

"We'll figure it out!" Mustang said confidently. "It might take us awhile, but we'll manage it!"

"This is crazy..." Riza muttered.

 

Steel sighed. "I know, okay? This whole plan is crazy."

"It'll work," Mustang said stubbornly, crossing his arms. "It  _will!"_

Riza and Steel looked at each other and gave the slightest of nods. 

 

"Alright," Riza said. "But you have to promise me you won't go running off and making the portal tomorrow," she said.

Mustang rolled his eyes. "Yayaya mom," he said.

"I just don't want to clean up your mess," Riza said deadpan. 

"Nah, that's my job," Steel said. Riza cracked a rare smile at that.

 

 

"Boys! Where are you!" Master roared, and the Roys jumped. They looked around Riza's room for a place to hide, but Riza pushed them towards the door. "Hurry!" she whispered urgently.

The Roys rushed out of the room and after a moment's hesitation, went down into the cellar quietly, then loudly ran back up the stairs and burst into the hallway. "Sorry Master!" Mustang cried.

"We heard something downstairs!" Steel added, as they hurried into the living room/study.

 

Master caught them and hit both boys, sending them sprawling. "No snooping!" he said. "Now, Mustang, recite to me the periodic table!"

Mustang gulped, and started to rattle it off. Master had never taught him it per say, but the teacher knew Steel had. 

"Lead, Bismuth... Astatine...Radium...?"

"Wrong!" Master barked. "You want to start alchemy?! You need to know every element by heart! The name, the weight, the shape, the electrons, the orbitals! You need to know exactly how every atom interacts with every other one! Otherwise your transmutations will backfire! Do you understand boy?!" he cried.

 

"Then teach me!" Mustang said, puffing out his chest. "Teach me chemistry then, instead of making Steel do it! He's a better teacher than you!"

Master's face turned stony. "Watch yourself boy," he warned.

"Master, with all  _due_ respect, I have taught him more than you have," Steel said, crossing his arms. "I taught him algebra and geometry, earth science and biology."

Master growled. "So you think you're better than me boy? Don't need me?"

"No!" Mustang cried. "He's not! You explain stuff a lot better, but you don't teach me  _anything!_ "

"So you wanna learn what Steel is?" Master asked. Mustang nodded resolutely.

"Well too bad! Pass the tests!" Master barked. Mustang deflated a little.

 

"How can I pass tests for a subject I've never learned?" he asked.

Master blinked, then said, "No you moron, pass the tests for the subjects you're in. Geometry and Biology. Then I'll let you study trigonometry with Riza and start Chemistry with Steel."

Mustang nodded. "Alright! Let me take the test!" he said.

Master cracked a rare smile. "Alright boy. Steel, go outside. I won't have you two cheating. Practice your circle drawing in the dirt."

Steel nodded. Circle training made up  _half_ of his alchemic training, and it drove him crazy. "Stupid perfect circles..." he muttered, heading out of the room through the kitchen and outside.

 

He sat and did circle after circle groaning in frustration at how hard it was to make the ends meet properly. "Why do I needa do this, I can just clap my hands..." he muttered. `But still, he knew Master required it, and he wasn't one to rebel.

Eventually he heard shouting from inside, but decided to ignore it. Master and Mustang argued, a lot. 

But eventaually he heard his name being called. "Steel! Get your ass in here!"

 

Steel got up and jogged inside. When he entered the great room, he froze.

Master was glaring at him, his fists clenched. "Did you tell him the problems?!" he roared.

"What? N-no!" Steel said. "I can't even remember them!"

"Tell the truth boy!" Master said, going over and grabbing Steel by the neck, his tight grip sending shooting pain through Steel's body. His neck was the only area that seemed to cause pain...

Steel's eyes went out, and he choked out, "No! Don't... don't you make new questions... every time...?" He had to take the test a few times and he remembered it being different.

 

"Just face it _sir_ , I passed!" Mustang crowed. Master whirled around, dropping Steel in the process. Steel collapsed to the ground, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Did you cheat boy! If you did-" he said, striding over to loom over Roy.

Mustang just lifted his chin and met him with a piercing gaze. "I don't need to cheat,  _sir_."

Master glared at him for a few minutes, then gradually stepped back. "Fine boy. Tomorrow you'll join Steel in his class. I don't wanna hear any complaints about being behind!" he roared.

 

Mustang just nodded sharply, a self-satisfied smile on his face. "Yes sir. I won't let you down."


	14. Learning

"...this is surprisingly legible," Steel said, studying the papers Riza had placed inside his alchemy notebook a couple months later. "I mean, Master has a little encryption, but he's taught me with this same code..."

Mustang looked over Steel's shoulder. "Looks like gibberish to me," he commented. "I mean, the salamander makes sense, but what does this text mean?" he said, pointing to the lines of writing surrounding the helix structure. 

"Latin. Lots of Latin. I can't read all of it- we'll need to hit the books."

 

Mustang groaned and his head thunked on Steel's shoulder. " _More_ waiting. Can't we just try it now?" he asked.

"No!" Steel snapped. "I'm not having you end up like me! We either do this carefully or not at all," he said.

Mustang just muttered, "I could just try it myself without you."

Steel turned his head to look at Mustang's downturned face. "Would you really leave me bro?"

Mustang sighed. "No..." he said. "I won't. But I'm tired of  _waiting._ I can... I can barely remember Mom and Dad," he whispered.

 

Steel sighed. "Me too little buddy," he said.

Mustang straightened. "Little?! I'm taller than you now!"

It was true. Steel hadn't grown an inch over the years, so Mustang had gradually caught up and then surpassed Steel in height. Steel knew roughly what he needed to do, but he wanted to be sure of his alchemy before trying to mess with his body.

 

"We'll you're still younger," Steel said. "So listen to your bro, okay? We'll do it. We just need Truth to not kill you in the process."

"I don't plan on meeting that bastard," Mustang said acidly. "This will  _work,_ no rebounds pulling me to that hell dimension."

Steel just grunted. "Ya. Listen, let me study this while you sleep. Then I can test it on my teleportation."

"When are you gunna teach me to do that?" Mustang asked.

"When I can figure out how a non-furnace can do it," Steel replied. "You'll just- I don't even  _know_ what will happen. It takes my body, but carbon is easier to replace than flesh."

"Yahyahyah," Mustang said, then walked over to and flopped on his bed. "Is that why you study bio alchemy? To fix me if I get hurt?"

Steel looked away. "Is that so bad?"

 

Mustang sighed in frustration. "Teach me to heal you then," he said. "It's only fair."

"I should teach you to heal  _yourself_ first," Steel countered. "You need to know how to at least fuse a wound together."

"Alright, I'll learn it if you teach me to fix you," Mustang said. He bounced out of bed and said, "Alright, get started!"

Steel laughed. "Your gunna fall asleep on me again!"

Mustang crossed his arms. "It's only ten," he protested. "I can stay up for a few more hours!"

"Fine," Steel said. "Gives me stuff to do."

 

Mustang tried his best, but he only lasted an hour before he fell asleep. Steel was glad- if Aunt Chris found Mustang awake when she got home  _again_ she would kill  _both_ of them.

Steel put him in bed again and settled down to study Master's research.

He could tell immediately that it was... incomplete. There were chunks of white space where text should be, runes that made no sense- why was there ice runes on a flame transmutation circle?

He sighed. Well, at the very least, he might be able to alter his own transmutation circle... he was tired of how much coal he needed to do  _anything._

 

 

Mustang  woke at dawn for the millionth time and bugged Steel to teach him alchemy. Steel just rolled his eyes but complied, working until it was time to go to Master's house.

Everything stayed the same for a few weeks like this. Every day the brothers studied chemistry, steadily dropping off every other subject to just focus on that science all day, every day. By the time three o'clock rolled around they were both exhausted, their brains fried.

But that didn't stop Mustang, who pestered Steel- who was still a good year or two ahead in the science- to teach him more, more,  _more!_ He worked night and day, pouring over Steel's notes and textbooks whenever he wasn't studying his own.

And when he was at Master's house he would bug Riza, who like Steel was still a few grades ahead. The two of them spent hours together, Riza patiently quizzing Mustang on anything he needed to know for his next upcoming test, never growing weary of the boy's endless questioning. Steel admired Mustang's drive, but shook his head at how much the boy worked. He was  _ten_ for gods sake, why was he acting like a grown-up?!

 

As for Steel himself...

"Bio alchemy boy?! Stop asking me about that! It's too difficult for a nitwit like you!" Master declared.

Steel just stared at him steadily. "I can already made basic skin and muscles. I just need to know more biology..."

"Humph. Whatcha planning, human transmutation?!" 

Steel bit his lip. "No. I just wanna heal people..."

Master threw his head back and laughed. "Is that why you practice combat alchemy?!"

Steel just looked away. There was only one real road for him...

 

 

"Seems there's trouble on the Cretan border again..." Mustang said, listening to the radio while Steel studied elder Mustang's alchemy books. It was still mostly gibberish, but he was starting to pick up a bit about the different alchemical shapes, not just circles but more triangle-based transmutations.

Steel looked up. "So? This country is always fighting," he said.

Mustang looked at him. "So?! We need to do something about it!"

Steel stared at him blankly. "Like what?"

"I dunno, fight! Stop these stupid wars!" Mustang replied, eyes shining.

Steel blinked. "You'll just get killed in the war," he said deadpan.

Mustang crossed his arms and huffed. "No I won't! I'll be the bestest soldier there ever was!"

 

Steel closed his book and walked over to Mustang, staring at him steadily. "Why do you wanna fight?"

"Because it's cool! Because I can help people!" Mustang said cheerily. 

"You can help people in a lotta ways. Being a doctor, a fireman, a policeman..." Steel trailed off.

"So?!" Mustang said, jumping to his feet and looking Steel straight in the eye. "Soldier's help more people! If ya can stop a war, both countries are saved!"

 

 

Steel paused. "That's... rather grown up for you little man," he said, ruffling Mustang's hair, and laughing when he got punched for his trouble.

 

 

That had been a few years ago. Now Steel spent his lunches practicing his own form of combat. Master disapproved, of course he did, it involved teleportation, but Steel didn't care. If Mustang was going to war, he'd go too. Whatever the boy said, he needed someone to protect him...

"Boy! Answer me!" Master roared, snapping Steel back to reality.

"Sorry Master, what was the question?"

"I said, why learn combat alchemy if ya wanna be a doctor?!"

Steel straightened. "I can be a combat medic. There's a dire need for more doctor's on the battlefield..."

Master just looked to the side and spat. "These stupid wars are a waste of manpower and time. What, would you become a dog of the military?"

Steel shook his head. "Just a combat doctor. I don't think I needa enroll in that program if I do that."

Master humphed. "So ya got some sense at least..." he muttered.

 

So Steel stopped learning how to manipulate metals and started learning how to heal flesh, which he in turn taught to Roy. But...

"Wait a minute, how did you do that so fast?!" Steel said, looking at Roy as he solved an animo-acid problem in just a few seconds.

Mustang looked up. "Come on, this is easy bro! Basic biology!"

Steel looked away. "That problem took me five minutes..."

Mustang threw his head back and laughed. "K bro, how 'bout I get Master to teach me this, and you stick to your metals!"

"I wanna learn this!" Steel said stubbornly. "Come on, next problem..."

 

Master soon noticed Mustang doodling chemical biological equations, and as per usual gave Mustang a test. When the Roy passed it in record time, Master declared, "Alright, I won't teach a dunce what he won't learn. Mustang, you will have to teach Steel your lessons now. Steel! Get back to those metals," he said. 

"Yes Master," both boys replied.

 

 

So they swapped. Mustang still insisted on learning carbon alchemy, so Steel taught him enough to repair his graphene skin. But now the teacher became the pupil, as Mustang spent their evenings teaching Steel bio alchemy.

But after a few months of this...

 

"Hey bro, you figured out that flame alchemy yet?!" Mustang said, looking up from his textbook propped on his pillow, to where Steel sat studying on the floor. 

Steel winced. "Um... " he trailed off. "I haven't studied it in awhile..."

"Come on bro, you promised!" Mustang protested. "We're runnin' low on time, I'll be an old man before we leave at this rate!"

Steel looked away. "I... we can leave whenever we want..." he said, looking down.

 

Mustang narrowed his eyes. "What are you saying Steel?"

Steel sighed. "I... I understand it as best as I can. I already altered my teleportation circle, it takes maybe half of the original fuel needed. We just needa collected enough fuel."

"Why didn't you  _tell_ me?!" Mustang exclaimed. "I trusted you Roy!"

"Because I wanna know how to heal you first!" Steel replied, looking at Mustang with a desperate face. "What if Truth takes your arm, or your heart?! I wanna be able to fix it!"

"Why are you so sure we'll fail?"

"Because it's impossible!" Steel declared.

 

The boys grew silent. "Then how did you get here," Mustang asked in a low voice.

"I... I don't know anymore. I've done the equations backwards and forwards, and the energy just  _isn't there_. Even if... even if my entire body was burned as fuel, it wouldn't be enough..." Steel faltered.

"It  _must_ cost less than you think then!" Mustang exclaimed. "That means less for us to collect!"

Steel looked down. Something nagged at him. "Why do I feel pain when I teleport," he asked.

"Huh?" Mustang asked. "Cause your body gets eaten."

Steel shook his head. "I don't- I don't feel pain when my body gets messed up. Just my neck," he said, pointing at a spot on the back of his neck. "And that's where I feel the pain when I teleport with too little coal. I don't... bro, there's some cost we're not thinking of."

 

"You're just a worry-wart," Mustang said, crossing his arms. "What else could there be?"

Steel just stared at his hands. "I dunno," he said, watching as his transmutation circle glowed dully. "What's that dragon biting it's tail symbol mean? That was in the original circle," he said. 

"The ouroboros? Isn't it like the salamander, just weird?" Mustang asked. 

Steel paused. "Let's hope so..." he muttered, looking down at the salamander that replaced the old ouroboros on his hand. "Let's hope so."

 

"So how much coal do we need?" Mustang asked. 

"Alot," Steel said. "More than I can hide in my body."

"What about the coal cellar? Is there enough in there?" he asked.

"Uhhhhh.... probably," Steel said. "I'd need to count it out."

"Then get going, shoo!" Mustang said, making waving motions with his hands. "If we have enough, we'll do the circle, tonight!"

"Tonight..." Steel faltered, then he nodded. " _If_ we have enough. Okay?"

"Okay. Now get going!" Mustang said, throwing his pillow at Steel.

 

Steel didn't laugh, just getting up and tiptoeing out of the room, softly making his way down to the cellar. "Okay, gotta have insurance amounts too," he muttered. "And I better cover the walls in stone so the fire can't spread... and have the carbon dioxide spread out around the fire to choke it if necessary..." he muttered as he descended the steps. Downstairs was a mountain of coal, enough to heat the house in winter and feed Steel. 

Steel sighed. "Better get counting," he said, picking up a piece of coal, numbering it and tossing it to an empty corner, continuing on through the night.

By the time morning came he'd counted out enough for the circle and much much more. "Enough for Roy to test it, come back, and us to go together..." he muttered. " _If_ I did my calculations right. We should have enough for Roy to test it safely though..." he muttered. 

"So let's get started!" Mustang said, causing Steel to jump and whirl around. "How long were you there?!" he cried.

"Just came down from breakfast. Hurry up! It's now or never!"

 

"Now or never," Steel said, voice wavering. He took a steadying breathe and said, "Alright. You fire-proof this place, I'll draw the transmutation circle," he said, bending down with a piece of chalk.

Roy nodded and got to work. After ten minutes, they managed to finish their tasks, and stood in front of an elaborate array. Mustang paused, suddenly doubting the whole enterprise.

"Roys!" AUnt Chris called. "It's time to go!"

 

"Now!" Mustang whispered-yelled. "I gotta go now!" he said, slapping his hands on the circle before Steel could stop him.

 _Now or never! This better work!_ Steel thought, as the circle lit up blue...


	15. Chapter 15

Fire erupted on the corners of the pentagons where coal had been stacked as fuel. Steel looked around warily, but the fire didn't spread- everything was working as planned. The circle glowed blue, and suddenly the eye opened in the middle.

Mustang stiffened, but Steel cried, "It's okay! There aren't any rebounds!"

Indeed, the little black hands didn't appear, but after a moment Mustang disappeared in a flash of light. Steel shielded his eyes, then when the light vanished he stared forward.

The coal on the circle vanished, and Steel could feel the lack of oxygen in the air. He slowly took down the earth walls around them, and felt air rush by as the partial-vacuum was filled.

Steel blinked when he saw that the little mountain of coal in the corner had vanished as well. He had placed a circle extension nearby as a backup resource, but didn't expect it to be taken as well. "But no rebound. That's the good thing.  _No rebound..."_ he muttered.

That meant it worked, right?

 

Suddenly, there was a flash of blue light from the circle, and Mustang popped into resistance above the center of the circle. He lay there like a rag-doll, not moving.

 

Steel stumbled over to him and yanked Roy onto his back. "Come on, come on, what did he take," he muttered desperately as he ripped Roy's blood-soaked shirt off. 

He stared down, horrified by the sight. Mustang's flesh had been torn open, his ribs cracked and sternum yanked out. And underneath where his heart would be was a pool of blood, blood gravity had pulled out from the surrounding cut veins.

Steel slammed his fist down into the earth nearby. "Shit!" he cried. "Truth took his fucking heart!"

 

He froze for a second, then his instincts kicked in. He grabbed his chalk and started rapidly drawing a transmutation circle around Roy's body. "No resources... fuck no resources... I need meat," he said, getting up and dashing upstairs.

"Steel, what are you doing?!" Aunt Chris cried as Steel slammed the door open and raced for the kitchen. He threw open the icebox and dug through it and grabbed some pork from the freezer. "Closest to human, good enough," he said, twirling around and racing back towards the cellar door.

 

"Roy! Roy what happened?!" Aunt Chris cried as Steel raced down the stairs. He saw the woman crouched over Roy, and with a running tackled knocked her away. "I need space to work!" he snapped.

Aunt Chis sat up and said, "You better explain right now what happened to Roy-boy!"

Steel ignored her and finished drawing his transmutation circle, placing the meat inside Roy's empty chest cavity. He clapped his hands together and placed them on the circle, focusing intently on  _fixing this_.

 

The circle glowed blue brightly, and Steel let out a strangled cry as a bolt of pain went through him and his arm disappeared. "Fuck, a rebound! But work, please! Take my damn arm, just work!" he cried.

 

He gritted his teeth as he felt some of his torso start to disappear, but after a moment the circle stopped glowing and Mustang gasped, sitting up and clutching his chest. "My heart! My- wait-" he said, feeling the inside of the cavity and his new heart. "What- how-?"

"I fixed it," Steel said, clutching the burning coal inside him in one hand, as his torso wall had vanished. "Don't move!" he snapped when Mustang started to get up. "You still have a fucking hole in your chest!"

Mustang blinked, finally realized, and laid back down. "U-uh how are we fixing that?!"

 

"You're going to a doctor. Now," Aunt Chris said, carefully picking Roy up. She turned to glare at Steel. "Boy, was this  _your_ idea?!"

Steel thought rapidly. He saw Mustang open his mouth, and quickly said, "It was my transmutation circle- Roy was the guinea pig. I'm sorry- this is all my fault," he said, head bowed.

"Bullshit!" Roy cried, earning glances from both family members, who said, "Language!"

Roy just shook his head. "It was my idea! I wanted to go to another world!"

"But it was my fault!" Steel snapped. "I knew better, and I helped you anyways!"

"I woulda done it without you!" Roy cried. "Stop it!"

"I won't let you take the fall for this!" Steel said. "It's my fault, period end of sentence!"

 

Aunt Chris just growled and said, "Steel, up. I'll deal with you later. First we're healing Roy. Now fix your side," she ordered.

Steel walked over and picked up some of the excess coal, focusing on his hand's transmutation circle- thank the gods that hand had remained. Slowly the graphene spread to cover the hole and formed his other arm.

Before he had finished fixing himself Aunt Chris stalked out, and Steel ran after her to keep up. "W-who are we going to see?! If this gets out-" he said.

Aunt Chris set Roy in the backseat of the car and replied, "A doctor I know, he won't ask questions. Now get in," she barked.

 

Steel climbed in and they took off with a roar. He looked over at Aunt Chris once they were driving, to try and explain, but her stony face warned him off. Later.

He dreaded later.

 

He kept giving glances at Mustang in the backseat. He had lapsed into a state of shock, but seemed otherwise alright- his wound wasn't bleeding at least. 

They entered Central and started weaving through the crowded streets, almost hitting people several time. Steel braced himself for impact, but Aunt Chris knew what she was doing. 

Soon they left the well-paved roads and entered into the slums of the city, the muddy streets full of debris and refuge. Steel didn't like it, but they needed secrecy.

 

Eventually they reached an ally that the car barely fit in. Aunt Chris parked in front of a little dingy door in the brick wall and honked in a weird pattern.

The door opened, and a surprisingly well-kept doctor appeared, wearing a lab coat and sterile gloves. "Ah, Madam Christmas. Need another 'proceedure' for your girls?"

"My son is hurt," she said, turning to look at Roy in the backseat. "Alchemic accident nearly tore out his heart. Can you fix him?"

The doctor looked over at Roy, and paled when Steel pulled the blanket over Roy back to cover his gaping wound. "How- you said alchemy?" he said. "Human transmutation..." he muttered.

"No!" Steel exclaimed. "We're not that dumb! It was a teleportation accident!"

 

The doctor blinked. "Teleportation?"

Steel clapped his hands together and appeared in front of the car, making the doctor jump. "I-impossi-impossible-..."

"Apparently not," Aunt Chris said, tone dripping acid. "Now will you help him?!"

The doctor started, then nodded. "Right," he said, walking over to the side of the car and awkwardly picking Roy up from the backseat, grateful for the no-roofed car.

"Do you want to stay with him?" he asked Aunt Chris.

She nodded. Steel did as well, but Aunt Chris shot him a death glare. "You, boy, stay here and guard the car," she said, squeezing out of the driver's side door and shuffling over to the doctor's side. 

The doctor turned and walked through the open door, Aunt Chris following. But before it closed, she turned and said to Steel, "You better think of exactly what you're going to say to me."

 

Steel nodded, eyelights going dim. She didn't even notice, just slamming the door shut. 

Steel teleported over to the back side of the car and leaned on the wall, staring out at the street. Guard the car. Guard and think. 

 

His non-existent heart sunk.  _What on earth CAN I say to her?_ he thought.  _Nothing I say can make her son whole..._


	16. Consequences

Steel waited and waited, glancing at his watch nearly every minute. An hour, two, passed with no sign of Roy or Aunt Chris. 

Finally, the door slammed open, and Aunt Chris stalked out. "Roy's recovering," she said before Steel could ask. "Now boy. Talk."

 

Steel would have gulped, and said in a low voice, "When his parent's died, Roy asked me to help him travel to another world to find new parents. He said he'd do it with out without me. So I helped him. I should have told you immediately and not assisted. I was wrong. Apologies will mean nothing, but..." his voice cracked and he looked down. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

 

Aunt Chris squeezed past the car and walked up to Steel. He looked up at her furious face, and flinched reflexively when she raised a hand. He squinted his eyes shut...

...then felt a pair of strong arms embrace him. "You poor boy..." she muttered.

Steel blinked. "W-what?  W-why...?"

"Roy told me what the Gate was like. The pain... I can't imagine... he said he could feel every atom being yanked from his heart. And you lost your whole body..." she muttered.

"S-so you don-don't hate me?" he asked.

 

She pulled back, her face a mix of anger and compassion. "Don't get me wrong boy, you are still in trouble. You  _knew_ better. Even if that boy is unstoppable when he gets an idea in his head..." she said, glancing over at the door.

Steel said nothing, not wanting to aggravate her more. Eventually, she sighed, and said, "I think it's best if you... went away."

Steel froze, eyelights vanishing. "Go... away?" he croaked.

Aunt Chris nodded sharply, her face growing hard. "It's clear you and Roy-boy are bad influences on each other. I can't trust you anymore," she said.

"B-but..." Steel started to say, but she interrupted.

"No buts. You can't be trusted. You're an adult now, sixteen," she said. "Time to leave the nest."

"Where can I even go? I have no job..." he said.

 

"The military is recruiting," she said, staring past him. "They'll take anyone. Just go to the Command Center and sign up."

Steel nodded, dry-mouthed, or would be. "O-okay. The military... maybe I'll see Roy again there..." he muttered.

"If he joins we'll see. But until he is an adult, he will stay with me. You are not to contact him, understand?" she said.

Steel nodded, looking down. "Understood Au- Madam Christmas."

 

 

She nodded, and turned to walk back in the doctor's office. "One last thing," she said, looking over her shoulder. "As far as anyone is concerned, you forced Roy-boy to do this. He has agreed to this plan."

Steel just studied the ground. "Understood, Madam. I'll be sure to collaborate it, so Roy doesn't get punished. for my mistakes"

"See that you do. Goodbye," she said, walking through and slamming the door.

 

Steel stared for a few minutes, then braced his shoulders and looked up at the massive building that was Central Command. "Military, huh? Meetcha there bro," he muttered, and started walking.


	17. Interrogation

"So, take your armor off so I can examine you," a doctor said to Steel.

Steel looked to the side. "I'm not... wearing armor."

The doctor blinked, and picked up his hand. "This isn't skin," she said. "It looks like it, but it's obviously not. Well, I guess it's fabric. Take it off."

"I... can't..." Steel muttered.

The doctor's eyes narrowed. "Can't? Or won't?"

"Can't. Look, I'll just show you," Steel said, placing his transmutation hand on his bare right arm. His shell parted, leaving a hole one could look into.

 

The doctor jumped and took a step back reflexively. "Wh-what are you?!" 

"...I... I dunno. I was human," Steel said, focusing on his arm instead of her horrified glance.

"W-who made you like this?! I'll have to report this!" she said, reaching for a phone on the wall.

"Don't!" Steel cried. "No one made me, I made me!"

The doctor paused mid-move and blinked. "You what?" she said, looking at him.

 

"I... I made myself like this," Steel said, voice faltering. "Look... my alchemy rebounded. Badly. Left me with just... this," he said, motioning to his body. "I was able to make a carbon body from the remainder, before I truly died, but I'm... stuck like this."

"Human transmutation," she said, eyes narrowing. "Is that what you were doing?"

Steel shook his head vehemently. "No! No- teleporting."

She blinked again. "Teleportation doesn't exist," she said bluntly.

 

In reply, Steel just clapped his hands together and reappeared right next to her. "It does," he said simply.

She jumped again and pressed herself against the wall. "What  _are_ you?"

"An alchemist," he replied. "Nothing more."

 

The doctor squeezed past him and went over to her fallen clipboard, still shaking. "I- I need to report this," she said. "I can't- you can't just go around freely like this. Not- I need to talk to- stay here!" she ordered, pointing at Steel. "Don't you dare leave! I need to deal with this," she said, stalking out of the room.

 

Steel just watched her passively. Well, he knew this would happen eventually.

 

 

The doctor was gone a long, long time. Steel just stood, waiting. It wasn't like he had muscles that got stiff.

Eventually, the door opened again, and a man strode him.

Steel stared. He was a large man, with close-cropped black hair and an eyepatch, wearing military garb well-adorned, a sword at his side. He would appear intimidating, if not for his cheery smile. But Steel was chilled to his core- that smile was like a wolf when it sees it's prey.

"You can stay outside," the man said, looking back at others behind him. Steel thought he caught a glance of the doctor and another soldier, but he wasn't sure.

"Yes Fuhrer," three voices replied crisply. Steel started. He thought- he wasn't sure- this was Fuhrer Bradly?!

 

The Fuhrer closed the door and looked back at Steel, still smiling eerily. "Well then Roy Steel, how are you?"

Roy blinked rapidly and replied, "F-fine. I'm fine. Uh- thank you sir. How is your lordship?" he asked.

The Fuhrer didn't reply to the question, instead walking forward and grabbing Roy's arm. "So this isn't metal, how fascinating," he muttered, looking Roy in the eye with a piercing stare. Roy gulped again.

"N-no sir," Roy said. "It's ca-carbon."

"And I hear you ended up this way because of alchemy?" he asked, dropping Steel's arm.

Steel nodded. "I- I teleported here from my home world. I-it rebounded- left me like this," he said.

"Home world?" Bradly asked, eye narrowing. "What do you mean?"

 

"I- I know it's hard to believe, but- I can from a place almost exactly like this, yet... not. I... I ended up here years ago. I'm a loyal Amestrian!" he said hurriedly. "I'm no foreign spy or anything!"

Bradly just chuckled, the sound mirthless. "I'm sure you aren't. Tell me, why Amestris? Did you intend to come here?"

Roy shook his head. "I- I was chasing someone. Envy? It said it's name was Envy." Roy wasn't sure, but he swore he saw Bradly's face go hard at the mention of Envy's name. 

"Envy. What can you tell me about this Envy?" he said, walking past Roy to look out the window.

"U-uh... he's a shapeshifter... he called himself a homunculus? And- he's a murderer," Roy said, voice lowering in rage. "He murdered my parent's and Mustang's."

"Mustang?" Bradly asked, looking at Roy.

"Roy Mustang. My twin. I- I ended up at his house, a duplicate of mines, almost. I've- I lived with him," he said.

"Fascinating..." Bradly muttered. 

 

Then he turned on his heel to face Roy. "Tell me, why you want to join the military?"

Roy gulped under the intensity of Bradly's glare. "I- I..." he looked down. Should he tell the truth?

Bradly didn't press, so after a moment Roy said shakily, "M-mustang's set on it. I- I wanna protect him, if I can. Help him. I... I don't want him to do this alone."

"I have no heard he was enlisting," Bradly said. 

"He's eleven!" Roy exclaimed. "S-sir! Sorry sir. He's too young. But he swears he will later."

"So you want to be his superior officer?" Bradly asked.

Steel looked away. "I don't care if I'm just his assistant. I just want to be there with him."

 

"Hmmm," Bradly said. "A noble purpose," he said, almost absently. Then he added, "What is your aspirations as a soldier?"

"I- I want to be a medic, if I can," he said. "I know some medical alchemy..."

Bradly shook his head. "No, I believe that would be a waste. Have you heard of the State Alchemist program?" he asked.

Roy nodded, repressing a look of disgust. "The weapons of the military," he said. 

"That's far kinder than I've heard them called," Bradly said. "But it is accurate. As a State Alchemist would afford you privileges and resources many would envy. As well, if you became a solider as well, after attending the military Academy, you would be granted the rank of Major and can work up from there. You would best be able to protect your brother that way," he said, giving Roy a look.

 

 _And I'd be a bomb for you_ Steel thought.  _But it's my best chance... and it pays? I need that..._

But out-loud he said, "I- thank you for the information sir. I only need pass the test for it, right?"

Bradly nodded. "I'll arrange for you to take it tomorrow. Arrive here at 9am sharp. Now," he said, walking over to the door and opening it, "You will finish your process of enlisting. You have passed your medical exam," he said, talking as much to Steel as to the doctor. "Good day," he said.

"Good day sir!" Steel called after his retreating back. 

 

He was shaking, he couldn't help it, his instincts remaining even after his nerves were lost. He looked at the doctor with wide eyes, who said, "Well, you heard the man. Go back to the register desk, and give him this paper," she said, quickly scribbling something on her clipboard paper, then tearing it off and handing a form to Steel. "They'll tell you where to go next."

 

Steel thanked her and started to walk out of the room, when the doctor caught his arm. "Don't forget your jacket," she said. Steel blinked, and said, "R-right." He grabbed the jacket off the hook and put it on, covering his bare chest and arms. "Thank you," he said, turning to walk out the door.

"You know you're lucky," she said. "Many would be court-marshalled in your place. The Fuhrer must have taken mercy since you're about his son's look," she said.

"His son?" Steel said, looking over at her. 

"Salem Bradly. You're about his height. Then again he's a boy, and you're... 16?"

"16," Steel confirmed. "I need to alter my body to be taller, I'm just not sure how."

"Don't," she said. "You're more useful at that height. Easier to hide. You'll be in reconnaissance with that teleportation," she said. She paused for a moment to let Steel digest that, then said, "Now get going! I have other patients to see."

 

"R-right!" Steel said, hurrying out of the room. Everything was happening so fast he could hardly process it. But one thing was clear- it wasn't luck, or kindness, that make the Fuhrer relent. Steel couldn't forget that predatory look. 

_He wants me for something. But what?_

But he had to go along with it, if he wanted to see Roy again...


	18. Good Enough

Steel was sweating proverbial bullets during the entire alchemic test. He knew his periotic table, he knew his basic arrays, he knew a little bit of every kind of alchemy- but this? This was far more challenging than anything he had ever anticipated.

He stared at a strange transmutation circle and wracked his brain about what it could be. "Altering... transition metals... some kind of complex form...  _lots_ of alloys... um...."

Eventually he had to guess. Fixing a watch? The sheer complexity of the circle baffled him, it had to be something complicated, something with lots of parts.

He had the distinct feeling he was wrong, but he hadn't the foggiest about what it could be. 

 

But when the instructor came to pick up the paper, he barely gave it a glance before saying, "Good job. You seem to know your stuff."

Steel blinked. No. No way. He had a dozen scratch-outs at least on the paper, how could he say that?

The sinking sensation returned. They wanted him to pass. But  _why?_

 

He was escorted to a large audience chamber, where several officers stood in the balconies around him- curious bystanders, or guards? Guards surrounded him, six of them. Steel wondered at the number, but then his eyes widened as the door opened, and he heard a, "Welcome Fuhrer sir!"

 

 _What the fuck, why is the Fuhrer here?!_ Steel thought, turning his head to follow Bradly's movements across the hall. He was smiling that wolfish smile again, and eventually he came to a little throne at the top of the room. Ah.  _This is where he meets people_ Steel thought.

 

Bradly clapped and the soldiers shifted to an at-ease position. Then he said,

"Welcome Roy Steel! You have shown promise, and have been granted the right to try to become a State Alchemist. You may begin at any time," he said.

"Do you need chalk?" a soldier next to him asked.

 

Steel shook his head. "I have charcoal," he said, picking a piece from his jacket pocket and leaning down to draw a transmutation circle, then walked and drew a few more around the room, all connected to the central rune. "First, I will create targets," he said, returning to the middle circle and laying his hands on it.

 

Instantly, tall stone soldiers appeared on each transmutation circle. Bradly didn't move, and Steel could see the other bystanders weren't impressed.

 

Steel just smiled to himself.  _Time to impress them_.

He touched his hand rune, transforming his hand into a sharp blade. That made the gawkers lean forward, but then they cried out as Steel clapped his hands and vanished.

 

Steel reappeared behind a soldier and sliced it's head off, clapping his hands and vanishing again. 

He popped into existence above a statue, tumbling and slicing the statue in two, landing on his feet before vanishing again.

He appeared in front of a statue and with a spin sliced it in two, before disappearing in another flash of light to the side of a statue, which he roundhouse kicked to pieces, earning a sound of wonder from the others.

He teleported next to a statue, and casually slammed his fist into the solid stone, pulverizing the head.

Through the whole thing Bradly looked on, an intense look on his face. But he didn't seem impressed yet.

 

Steel took a deep breathe, exhaling smoke. Then he clasped his hands together and flashstepped up behind the guards, yanking their guns from their sides and throwing them aside before moving on to the next one, moving so fast one could barely blink before he was gone again. 

The men cried out and scrambled for their weapons as Steel finally reappeared before, reaching for his sword-

And faster than the eye could track, Bradly drew his sword and slashed across Steel's chest, the blade harmlessly sliding off.

 

Steel and Bradly stared each other down for a second, before Steel saluted. "Very impressive sir! You truly are a fighter no one can match."

Bradly sheaved his sword and chuckled. "You're gutsy kid, and quite quick. But I'm afraid not fast enough," he said, as the guards now pointed all their guns at Steel. Bradly leaned closer and whispered, "I could court-marshal you for that."

Steel just stared at him, and without moving his lips replied softly, "But you need me for something, don't you?"

 

Bradly leaned back and smiled that menacing smile. He raced a hand and said, "At ease men. This boy is merely fooling around."

 

The men relaxed, though they gave Steel wary glances. Steel just stood still, hands behind his back.

 

Bradly clapped and said, "Well, I must say, this alchemy is fascinating. I'm sure the military will make good use of you. You're in luck, boy. Basic Training has started a few days ago. Men, escort him to the camp. Dismissed!" he said, clapping his hands again.

 

One of the guards said to Steel, "Come here alchemist. And  _walk_. No more vanishing acts," he ordered. Steel nodded and turned to follow the men.

Once they exited the room, the guard nearest Steel knocked him in the head. "What on Earth was that stunt boy?!" he cried.

Steel just bowed his head and replied, "I needed to impress the Fuhrer. That seemed the best way."

The guard shook his head. "Little moron, you were doing fine. All you did was paint a target on your back, furnace boy."

 

Steel opened his mouth to protest, but another guard said, "We all know about your condition. News travels fast. And there aren't that many little kids joining the military."

"I'm sixteen!" Steel protested.

They laughed. "You look like a ten-year-old, runt."

"Boy isn't even going to be able to do half the trials at that height," another said, shaking his head. "He'll just fail Basic."

 

Steel took a deep breathe. "I need coal, good quality, to increase my height. That's what I'm  _made_ of. Is there any I can use?"

"Got any cash?" a guard asked. "Coal ain't cheap you runt."

Steel looked down. "A couple coins," he said. He only had pocket change, Aunt Chris hadn't even given him enough to sleep in a room. He'd just walked the city all night long.

The guard laughed. "Sorry runt, you need more than that. Though," he said thoughtfully. "You're an alchemist right? Why don't you just mint some money?"

 

Steel bristled. "I won't break the law! No!"

"Heh, kid isn't that stupid. Tell you what. I'll pay for some. But you pay me back, with interest," he said.

Steel nodded. "Okay. What's ya name?"

"Alex Jones," he replied.

 

"We need to get the kid to camp," another guard warned. "We don't have orders to stop at a store."

"We won't. Camp has rations, remember? Including coal. We'll get it there," he replied.

The other guard whistled. "You'll bankrupt the kid that way," he said.

Jones smiled woflishly. "He can decide then," he said. "Ain't my problem."

 

Steel gritted his teeth. "We'll see," he said. "Now where's this camp?"

"Long ways kid, don't get impatient," a guard replied. "Come on, walk faster," he said, picking up the pace and forcing Steel to jog to keep up. The others laugh. "They want this boy to be a solider? He won't last five minutes."

 

 _We'll see about that_   Steel thought viciously.  _I won't fail just cause you say I will bastards_.

He stewed while they walked. He didn't even want any of this. But this was his lot now, and he'd see it through.

What other choice did he really have?


	19. Coal

" _This_ runt's gunna do Basic?!" a Sargent asked incredulously. "You  _got_ to be joking!"

"He's already recruited," Jones said. "Here," he said, handing the Sargent a piece of paper.

The Sargent gave it one look and then crumbled it up. "The military will accept any brat now," he said acidly. "Well boy, what you got to say for yourself?!" he said, looking at Steel.

 

Steel just stared at him steadily and said, "I won't fail," he said.

The Sargent barked laughter. "I'll be the judge of that!" he exclaimed. "Now, go to the supply room and get a uniform. Then meet the others on the lawn. Move!" he shouted, and Steel quickly ran off.

 

Fortunately the camp had signs and he quickly found the supply room. There was a guard there, who eyed Steel. "What's a kid doing here?" he asked.

Steel just saluted and said, "Private Steel reporting! I'm new," he said.

The other looked at Steel for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Alright kid, where are your parents."

"Dead," Steel said bluntly. "And I'm not a kid, I'm sixteen. Now can I get a uniform?" he asked.

"We don't have stuff for runts," the officer said. "Now piss off."

 

Steel stood his ground. "I was ordered by the Sargent to get a uniform," he said steadily.

"What, enough games kid. Piss off!"

Steel didn't budge. "I'm a recruit," he said evenly. "Not a kid."

"Look, kid, this isn't funny. I have work to do," the guard said.

"I. am. not. joking." Steel replied.

 

The guard and Steel just stared each other down, until the Sargent walked over. When he approached the guard saluted. "Sargent Drow! What is your business here."

Drow ignored him and and barked at Steel, "I don't see you in uniform soldier!"

Steel just looked up and said, "The guard won't move, sir. Shall I make him?"

"Get your uniform!" the Sargent replied. "Now!"

 

Steel gave one look at the guard and grabbed him by the arm, flipping him. The guard hit the ground hard, and before he could recover Steel forced the door open and walked into the supply room. 

There was quite a bit of stuff in here, including many uniforms. Steel saw at once that he'd be too short for any of them- but there was quite a bit of coal.

 

The guard had started to pick himself up, so Steel hurried over to the coal box and placed his hand on it. He closed his eyes and concentrated on making himself taller, longer. 

In a flash the coal turned to gtraphene and shot up his arm, elongating it, before racing across his chest, legs, stretching them out. 

 

The guard and Sargent stood at the door with wide-open mouths, staring. Steel just shucked off his clothing and grabbed a uniform, putting it on. He grew his body to fit it, mostly by puffing out his limbs and shoulders. He had taken enough coal to spare, a good amount just sitting in his stomach.

 

Once accomplished, he turned back to the others, a little disoriented by the height different. He strode over and said, "Now sir, I am to go to the lawn, correct?"

The Sargent recovered and barked, "I did not give you permission to take any coal private!"

Steel didn't flinch, just saying, "No sir. I apologize sir. I'll pay for it."

"Yes you will- by your sweat and tears. Fifty laps around the lawn. Move!" he cried, moving aside so Steel could pass.

 

Steel ran out, presuming the Sargent meant him too, then found then lawn. It was  _massive_ , at least the size of a rugby field. He took a deep breathe to ignite his core, and started running.

He didn't know how fast he was supposed to go, but he picked a pace where he moved the least- gods knew when he would get more fuel. Eventually the Sargent came by to watch, though officers kept coming up to him to talk. Steel just shrugged- he guessed the laps were on the honor system.

 

Eventually he finished and jogged up to the Sargent and saluted. "Completed, sir!"

The Sargent gave him a sharp glance. "You don't seem out of breathe," he said, for Steel was still breathing quite evenly.

"I cannot get out of breathe, Sargent, due to my unique body," Steel explained.

"Hrm. You seem energetic, too," he commented, for Steel fidgeted out of nerves.

"I cannot get tired, sir," Steel replied.

The Sargent rubbed his chin. "So you could run all day and night?"

"Until I ran out of fuel, sir," Steel replied. "I burn fuel to make myself move."

 

"Are you trying to justify your theft?" the Sargent asked icily.

Steel shook his head. "No sir! That was wrong sir! I simply am answering your questions, sir!"

"Can you feel pain, Private?" the Sargent asked, still coldly.

Steel's eyes wavered, then he replied, "Only on the back of my neck, sir."

"Do you sleep Private?" he asked, voice rising.

Steel shook his head. "No sir, I cannot sleep."

"So you're saying, you're above punishment?!" the Sargent barked.

"No sir!" Steel replied. "I merely am not particularity human sir!"

 

The Sargent looked away and cursed. Then he paused, blinked, and said, "What happens when you run out of fuel?" he asked.

Steel looked away. "I then must burn some energy that causes me much pain, sir, or stop moving."

"Ah! Then we shall do that. For the rest of the week, you shall have one piece of coal a day, equal in worth in value to one meal. You will be expected to do everything as normal. Understood?!"

Steel gulped and nodded. "Y-yes sir."

 

The Sargent pointed at the woods and barked, "The other recruits are there. Join them. Move!" he shouted, and Steel took off.

But he moved as cautiously as he could- knowing he would not get anything to eat, basically, worried him.  _That body energy... it can't be healthy to burn that..._ Steel thought.  _But I must obey orders..._

This was going to be a long week...


	20. Knocked Down to Size

"Whose the newb?" one recruit asked.

"Dunno. What the heck is he?" another said. "He looks weird."

"Dunno. Hey newb, what are you?" a third called. 

Steel slowed as he approached the others. "Is there someone I need to report that I'm here?" he asked.

The three laughed. "So you are new," the third one commented.

"Told ya," the first one said. "And we're on lunch newb," he said, pointing to the other soldiers sprawled out over the area. "You'll get orders once the Sarg gets back."

 

Steel nodded. "Thanks. My name's Roy Steel," he said, stretching out his hand. "What's your names?"

The three guys looked at each other. "Should we tell dipshit our names?" the second one asked.

The third shrugged. "Why not? He's stuck with us," he said, smiling. Steel shuttered, then internally kicked himself for moving. He needed to stop that.

First one said, "Tell ya what greenie. Tell us what you are first."

 

Steel took a deep breathe. "I'm a human made of carbon- just carbon," he said.

The three stared at him and laughed. "Ya right!" the first guy said.

"Boy thinks we're idiots doesn't he?! What, you're Ishvalan aren'tcha red eyes?" the second dude said, shoving Steel. "You pieces of shit are causing a real reckus in the East!"

Steel just took a deep breathe, and blew a smoke ring in the guy's face. He stepped back, coughing.

"The hell?!" he exclaimed. "How'd ya do that?!"

Steel just replied calmly, "Told ya. Carbon. I burn coal for food. Hence, smoke," he said, letting out another stream of it. He felt the fire in him blaze up now that it wasn't choked with CO2.

 

The boys just eyed him. "No way. You just smoked on your way here," the second dude said.

"Ya, that's gotta be it... right?" the third said.

The first one just went up and punched Steel, then cursed as his hand met solid graphine. Steel slid back a bit from the impact, but otherwise didn't move.

"Told ya. Carbon. It's kinda hard, like diamond," Steel explained. Then his eyes lit up for a second, then went out completely. "Can an Ishvalan do this?" he asked, speaking without his mouth moving.

 

The three backed away. "What the fuck are you?!" they cried.

"An alchemist," Steel replied. "That's all."

 

The three looked at each other. "Right, not Ishvalan," the second dude said. "They'd never use alchemy."

"So he is a freak," the first dude said. "All those alchemists are."

"Hey!" Steel cried. "We're not that weird!"

"Says the boy made of carbon," the third replied. Then he looked at his friends and said, "Come on, Douglas, Stretch. Let's leave the freak be."

"Wait, what's your name?" Steel called after him. The boy turned and said, "Richard. Now piss off freak."

 

Steel watched them leave, and repressed the urge to sigh. Great. Great start.

 

He got many more weird looks once the Sargent came back and said, "Now you've probably seen a new face. That piece of shit is Private Steel- he's a living coal statue. Treat him accordingly!" he said, much to the snickering of the others. "Now, you're to run to the end of the forest and back with your packs on. Move!" he cried, and everyone scrambled to pick up a pack and run.

Steel spotted an abandoned one and shouldered it on. He saw someone come up to grab it, saying, "Hey, that's mine!"

Steel looked at him and said, "Then take mine," he said, starting to run off, to the boy's protest. 

"Come back here you coal shit!" he cried, then grumbling went to find an extra pack lying around.

 

 Steel easily caught up with everyone and started to outstrip them, as the weight of the pack couldn't truly effect him- it meant more energy to force his legs to move, but he had a lot of coal and was feeling good.

He reached the end of the wooden path and exited into some fields. A few men were with him, but the majority remained behind. The others turned back, but one paused to say, "Hey dipshit, don't show off. It'll win you no favors here."

 _Well what about you then?_ Steel thought, but he ran slower on the way back anyways, falling into a steady rhythm. The others passed him going up, and near the end finally caught him at the end of the woods.

 

The Sargent was waiting for all of them, and said, "Well men, I see you all are a bunch of clod-faced morons!" He glared at the men who all stood breathing heavily, and asked, "On the battlefield, do you think you'll separate like that?! Privets Steel, Dunham, Whitney, Duke, and Jones! Do you have any explanations for yourself?!"

The boys remained silent, and simply looked down. "No, sir," Steel said, breaking the silence.

"Right! There none! Now the five of you will spend the night cleaning up the mess, understand?! Maybe then you'll learn some common fucking sense!"

The others grumbled, but Steel was fine with it- gave him something to do.

 

Next they went to an obstacle course, and forced to crawl through mud and dung; climb a rope wall a hundred feet high and repelled down the other side, crossed a series of tighwire across the tree-tops, and ended up at the base of a massive, smooth tree.

"Now!" The Sargent barked, pointing up. "Grab that flag by any means necessary! Understand?! You will be tested on your speed and decisions!"

They others started muttering and talking about what to do- could they stand on each other's heads? Chop down the tree with their combat knives? Climb with them? Who would go, who was the lightest?

"I'm barely fifty pounds," Steel said to that, making the people around him stare. "I can climb up there- or better, teleport."

"Pf. Teleportation doesn't exist," he heard.

 

Steel rolled his eyes. He was so  _sick_ of that comment. "You know what? Watch me," he said, clapping his hands together and appearing at the top of the tree. He was a bit off, but grabbed the flag as he fell past, falling the hundred feet to the ground and landing on his feet. 

While everyone stared, he walked over to the Sargent and said, "Here, Sarg."

 

The Sargent gave him one look and punched him across the face. "What the hell was that private?!"

Steel started to rise, but the Sargent just kicked him down again. On the ground, he replied, "Alchemy, Sargent."

"Sargent Peeves," he barked. "Address me properly recruit! And did I give you permission to use alchemy?!"

"You say by any means necessary, si- Sargent Peeves," Steel replied.

 

The Sargent just grunted and looked at the others. "Did anyone here agree to this?!"

"No Sarge! No sir! Didn't know about it sir!" the others cried.

Peeves put his hand on his hips and said, "Well you lump of flea-brained morons should have! Use your resources! And you!" he said, kicking Steel. "You failed the exercise! This was a challenge of teamwork, not skill! Stop acting alone! You are to act together! Now brats, decide for yourselves Steel's punishment!"

 

Steel just lay there and stared at the others while they muttered between each other.  _This is supposed to make it better? They'll bond, but they'll hate me more..._

His stomach sank.  _I just might fail training..._

 

 

One of the men called over. "Hey coal shit, Drew says here he saw you look like a kid when you arrived?"

Steel nodded. "Yes. I can change my shape."

They all started laughing. "Turn back! We wanna see you small!"

Steel looked between them and the Sarge, and the Sarge just said, "Is that your final answer?!"

"Ya! Make him a shrimp!"

"Well you heard them! Shrink down!" he said, kicking Steel.

 

Steel just let out a breathe and clapped his hands together. He slowly compressed his body back down, pulling the extra graphene off him like a glove. The others watched as Steel returned to his original height, and stood in his way-too-big uniform.

They started to laugh. "Looks at the runt, he's swimming in that uniform!"

"He looks like a kid! Hey kid, whatcha doing here?!"

"Piss off boy, we don't want you! Go back to your mommy!"

 

"My mom is dead you assholes!" Steel cried back. "Why do you think I'm here?!"

He didn't know what he expected in reply to that, but they just started jeering more.

The Sargent clapped his hands and said, "Back to camp! You, runt," he said, kicking Steel. "That's the coal you stole isn't it?" he said, pointing at the pile of folded graphene. 

Steel nodded. "I can turn it back, sir."

"Take it back to camp and do so. Move!" he said.

 

Steel just blinked, and asked, "Can I get a new uniform sir? I can't walk in this," he said, and indeed, the pants had fallen down and pooled around his feet, leaving his doll-like nether regions exposed.

The Sargent just barked a laughter. "You will wear that one soldier! Make it work! Now get moving!"

 

Steel cast about for something to tie his pants up, but after a moment decided to just strip and carry everything. He'd fix the uniform later.

He shouldered the pack and picked up the graphene and started running. Eventually he reached the camp, and went to the supply room to drop off the graphene, which he transmuted back to coal. 

He jogged out of the room and found the Sargent in the lawn, staring at him.

 

"Who gave you permission to remove your uniform?!" the Sargent barked.

Steel just sighed, slowly blowing smoke out. "No one, sir," he replied.

"Correct! Seem you know how to expel at the very least! Now, since you seem to like being in the nude, you shall spend the rest of the week like this! Understood?!" he said.

Steel nodded slowly. "Permission to fix my uniform in the meanwhile?"

"Permission granted!" the Sargent barked. "I expect it to be to code when you finish. Now, to the kitchen, get to work!" he cried, and Steel jogged off. He paused for a second to stuff his uniform into his pack- he was never told to drop it- and went in.

 

As expected, he got gawks and jeers at his naked appearance- especially since he looked like a doll. 

Steel just... ignored them and walked back to the kitchen. There he found the other delinquents, who just looked at him and shook his head. "You're a real moron, you know that?" Whitney said.

Steel just ignored the comment and asked, "What work are we supposed to do?"

Jones just pointed at the sink and said, "Get scrubbin' runt."

Steel nodded and got to work. He could barely reach inside the sink,  but found that by standing on tip-toe he could manage.

 

 

He scrubbed in silence while the others just stood around talking and goofing off- at least until the Mess Orderlie came in and yelled at them to get to work. They snapped to it and scattered over the kitchen, cleaning up the food and starting to clean the kitchen. And giving Steel more dishes. Many more dishes.

He just shrugged when he was told to make the water hotter, along with a jeer that it'd burn his baby-hands. "Kay. Can't feel temperature, it doesn't matter."

He got another look for that, before being ignored again.

 

 

On one trip over with a load of  pots to be washed, Duke paused next to him. Steel finally realized he was the runner who told him to cut it out when Duke started to say, "You know, you need to show a little weakness. No one likes a super man."

Steel wanted to question him, but Duke just walked away again. Steel was left to think.

 _Weakness, huh? But I don't... really have any..._ he thought. He blinked, and thought,  _Maybe... maybe I'm just being arrogant... I just dunno..._

 

One thing was sure. He'd have a lot of time to think about it during the week.


	21. How to Fit in

"Alright men, for your next exercise, carry this log across the woods. Move!" Peeves cried, and the group hurried over to grab the massive tree log on the ground. 

Steel went over, but when the others raised it to their shoulders, he just... fell back. He couldn't reach it.

The others noted and yelled at him. "Come on pipsqeak, figure out how to help!"

"It's your fault I'm short!" Steel just yelled back. 

"Get moving!" the Sargent cried, and the others, grumbling, started walking.

 

But they quickly started to stagger. "Damn it, it's too heavy!"

"Come on, there's just twenty-seven of us!" another said. "This thing is made for way more!"

"And we got those slackers!" another said, jerking his head at Steel... and Duke.

 

Steel turned around and saw Duke just standing there. "What's your deal? You're tall enough," he said.

Duke was holding his arm, and said quietly, "I can't really carry anything heavy..." he said. He pushed up his sleeves to reveal weak prosthetic arms. Steel blinked. "You were carrying shit last night!"

"Light stuff!" Duke replied. "I can manage some weight, but that log?" he said, motioning to the log the others had dropped. "My prosthetic would fall off!"

 

"Poor boy needs automail," one soldier explained. "Not those pieces of shit. Why'd ya come boy, you're useless!"

"Can't run your way out of this one!" another called. 

"Stupid boy, why ya here?!" a third said.

 

Duke gritted his teeth and looked away, but Steel walked up to him.

"I'm light," he explained. "Can you carry me? I'll hold the log."

Duke looked down, then got a thoughtful look and knelt down. "Hop on my back," he said.

Steel climbed up and Duke stood. He used his arms to brace Steel's legs, and grunted, "You really are light. What, are you hollow?"

"Now I am," Steel said. "No excess fuel stored up. Now let's get that log!" he said, pointing forward.

 

They walked over together and Steel grabbed on to the log and hoisting it above his head. He felt himself start to slide, and quickly linked his legs around Duke's body. He grunted, so Steel asked, "Can you breathe?"

"Ya," Duke huffed. "Barely."

"I should be on your shoulders..." Steel muttered.

"You'd... fall... this'll work..." he said.

 

Steel nodded, then he cried to the others, who still swayed and stumbled, "Come on you assholes! If the disabled duo can do this, you can! What, weaker than a boy and his legs?!"

"Oh shut up coal shit!" someone yelled back, but still, Steel felt the strength of spite steady them and the log stopped swaying.

"Everyone  _move!_ " the Sargent barked, and slowly they started moving forward.

At first the going was rough, but eventually everyone figured out how to sway at the same time and move that way.

 

They reached the end of the forest and was once again faced with the flag tree. "Alright dipshits, do this  _without_ alchemy this time!" the Sargent cried.

The men started to argue with each other again. Steel tried to speak up but everyone ignored him, so he said quietly to Duke, "Hey. You guys could probably  _throw_ me up there. Can you suggest it?"

"Better idea. Whitney!" he said, walking over to the boy, who turned to look at them. "What Duke of Dirt?" he asked.

"How bout you carry the runt now?" he asked. 

Whitney laughed. "What, he too heavy?"

Duke rolled his eyes and grabbed Steel, lifting him over his head. "Nah."

Whitney whistled. "Even you can lift him. Hey..."

 

He turned and called over, "Hey, Jeffory! Think we found your backpack!"

Steel turned to look at a rather muscular soldier pushed his way through the crowd. "What? Oh, the runt?" he asked, eyeing Steel warily. "Ain't he heavy?"

Duke shook his head. "Light as a baby. What, you going to climb the tree?"

"Up to those branches," he said, pointing at the lower, thick branches above them. "I can manage that. But the small ones will break."

"Well lucky I'm light," Steel said. "You could probably toss me the rest of the distance.

 

Jeffery laughed. "Could at that! You hit the ground yesterday and seemed fine."

Steel nodded. "Yep. You can treat me like a piece of metal."

"Heh. Alight, hop of metal-boy," he said, turning so Steel could climb up.

 

Steel did so, and Jeffery cried, "Right boys, pyramid time!"

A group of the soldiers nodded, and slowly they started forming a pyramid, five-thick at the bottom. Jeffery climbed up to the top, then bunched his legs and jumped.

He nearly reached the branch, but would have missed if Steel hadn't grabbed it, squeezing Jeffery in a vise-grip. He hauled them up onto the branch, chugging like a steam engine. 

They held on and caught their breathe, and eventually Jeffery wheezed, "You're... strong..."

"No muscles," Steel said. "But I just burnt through... my coal... owww.... my neck...." he said, rubbing the now-aching spot. 

Jeffery looked at him. "Huh?"

 

Steel started to sigh but winced at the pain. "I eat coal. When I run out... I feel alot of pain..."

"So you are human," Jeffery remarked. Then he stood carefully on the branch and asked, "But we must soldier on. Come on football," he said, reaching down and grabbing Steel.

 

Steel obediently curled up into a ball, and Jeffery tossed him high. It wasn't quite enough, but Steel grabbed a branch and heaved himself up the remaining feet, grabbing the flag before dropping like a stone to the ground.

 

The others scrambled out of his way as he hit like a meteor, and caught Jeffery when he dropped down as well.

 

The Sargent spoke up. "Well, seem you shits have some brains! But real soldiers would have done that at first! Now, back to camp, double-time. Move!" he cried, and everyone took off.

 

Steel lagged behind this time, but after a few minutes Jeffery detoured into the woods and grabbed some chunks of wood. He waited for Steel, and shoved the sticks at him. "Here. Eat this," he said, taking off again.

 

Steel smiled, and gladly swallowed the wood. He caught up after that, running next to Jeffery the rest of the way back.

 

It was lunch and everyone went to the mess- except Steel. But before he could retreat to his bunk Duke caught him. "Idiot, don't hide like a weirdo. Come talk-" he said, grabbing Steel's arm and dragging him- literally- into the mess.

 

 

He sat at the long table next to Duke, and upon being asked where his food was, he replied, "Sarge says I get one piece of coal a day. No food."

One boy near him sputtered. "What?! That's insane! My stove needs more than that a day!"

Steel shrugged. "It's a punishment for stealing coal," he said. "I deserve it."

Another boy groaned. "You are an  _idiot_. How oldre ya?"

"Sixteen," Steel replied hotly. 

The others looked at each other. "Yep, you're just stupid."

"What sixteen year old enlists?"

"Come on, most wait till eighteen."

"Why'd ya enlist boy?" someone asked.

Steel looked down. "Got kicked out of ma house."

 

He got some hums of sympathy, but one asked, "Why?"

Steel took a deep breathe. "You know that teleportation trick?" he asked. They nodded. "Well, my brother wanted to try it. But it nearly killed him..." he said, looking down. "Lost his heart. I transmuted a new one, but... that was it for me."

They stared. "Human transmutation?!" they cried.

"No!" Steel snapped. "Medical alchemy! There's a difference! Human transmutation would be raising our parent's from the dead..." he muttered.

"How'd ya parent's die? More alchemy?"

Steel shook his head. "They were... murdered..." he muttered. "No, alchemy's how... I ended up like this," he said, motioning to his body.

"Wait, ya aren't- some kind of homunculus?" 

"No! I'm human! But teleportation... it costs  _alot_. It took my body..." he said.

 

The others just stared at him. "Then why on fucking earth do you do it?!" one sputtered.

"Hey, I can burn coal off to do it!" Steel protested. "And I didn't know it'd kill me!"

"Wait, you're dead?" 

"Er... no," Steel said. "But I... shoulda died."

 

They just shook their heads. "You are so stupid," the first dude said.

"Come on Ralph, he was a kid," Duke protested.

"Still stupid," another muttered.

"Yep, an idiot," a third confirmed.

"Totally."

"Biggest idiot I've ever known."

"Yayaya shut up," Steel said to their laughter. "Alright, I'm the biggest idiot alive, is that it?"

"Yep!" they said, still laughing.

 

Steel just rolled their eyes, and said, "Kay. So who are you all?"

Duke, Ralph, Uryne, Stephen, Iodin, Kris... Steel's head swam with the names. But slowly he got to know them as they chatted, till the drill Sargent yelled at them all to get out of the lawn.

 

They went along, chatting and making fun. Steel took quite a bit of playful of abuse and returned in kind.

Out in the main group he still got quite a few jeers, but now he just snapped at them like the boy they thought he was, making them laugh. 

 

The week passed, and Steel finally found his feet in the group. He teamed up with Duke to do things he was too short for, and returned barb for barb. The others laughed at him, but gradually included him- one even lending Steel his sewing kit so the boy didn't have to wear the ridiculously over-large uniform. 

Finally, when Sunday came round, Steel stood in his boy-sized uniform on the lawn with the others. "Hey, the boy knows how to wear clothes!"

"Good, I got tired of looking at boy-butt!"

"Now ya look like one of us!"

 

 _One of us_ Steel thought.  _Finally..._


	22. Connections

"Put the runt down!" the Sargent roared, running in time with Duke. "He has to run it himself!"

"He's... out of coal..." Duke puffed, while Steel clung on with dark eyes. 

"Too bad! Ijiot has to learn to deal with it!" the Sargent cried. "Put him down!"

 

Duke stopped and obeyed. "Sorry dude," he whispered to Steel, who just said motionlessly, "It's okay, thanks for the help."

Steel mechanically started to run, the pain in his neck growing and radiating till his very core ached. He couldn't help it, he started crying softly, glad he couldn't produce tears so they could see.

The others still  _heard_ though, and one recruit veered off to the woods and grabbed a stick, shoving it at Steel. "Hey blubberer, eat this," he said, taking off again.

Steel started to swallow it when Peeves knocked it from his hands. "No extra food!" he roared. "Learn to survive on three pieces or leave the corps!"

 

Steel just growled in reply, the only thing he could do. He dropped the stick and laced his arms behind his back, bending forward and running.

He tried his damndest to not move as he run, but he still acted too human. His face twitched as he needlessly breathed, his legs mimicked muscle movement he didn't have, his chest heaved reflexively to draw in air for coal he didn't have.

 

More than once he nearly fell from the sheer pain, but he just forced himself up again and kept going. He didn't even bother looking human after a bit, just rising impossibly upwards.

He hated the runs, but they didn't make up that much time during the day. Just one during the morning and evening, to keep them from slackin.

 

The rest of the day was combat training. And that...

 

"Shoot straight you moron! You missed by a yard!" Peeves said, kicking Steel in the side and shoving him. He spat and added, "Brace yourself you idiot! How else can you fire a gun?!"

"Not my fault I'm so light!" Steel snapped back. "Let me have more coal-"

"No!" the Sargent roared. "Learn how to deal with it!" he said, stalking away.

 

Steel just hissed. He tried his damndest not to move, but the gun's kickback always shoved him. To add insult to injury it barely effected the others, who absorbed the shock well after a few days of training. He'd finally weighted himself- he was a pitiful 4 kg. 

He stared at the dial for a long, long moment. "Shit! I guess coal was my major weight before..."

But now he was coal-less and light as a feather. Steel groaned and rested his head against his rifle. He couldn't even move much...

Then he got an idea. He clapped his hands and made his feet pointed- he never wore shoes, and the Sargent didn't make him after seeing that he really couldn't walk with them on- and dug them into the grassy earth next to him.

 

 

But he was still far too light. He thought and thought, and after a few minutes figured, "I just needa be heavier. Well if I can't get coal, maybe I'll just turn my graphene to diamond..."

He did so, freezing his lower body into one solid shell of diamond. But he couldn't walk like that, so after every range session he transmuted the diamond back to simple graphene.

 

But after a few days of this, he moved more slugged than ever, his eyelights out. The other soldiers noticed and asked what was up, Steel dully replying that he was exhausted.

Eventually this caught the notice of the Sargent. "Private! What is the meaning of this lazy demeanor!"

Steel didn't both to move his head to look up, just replying motionlessly, "Tired. Sorry."

"What did I tell you about conserving coal?! I won't give you more because you're gluttonous!"

Steel just stood there for a moment, then replied, "Right sir. Sorry sir."

"Is that it? Sorry? Buck to it!" he said. "Look alive for god's sake!"

 

Steel tried to activate his eyelights, pain shooting through him, and they flickered on for a moment, before dying again- and Steel went still.

 

Peeves blinked, then barked, "I said look alive coal shit! Move!" he said, hitting Steel upside the head.

Steel just fell on the ground like a statue, not moving. Now the Sargent was confused. "Get up soldier!"

Steel didn't respond. The Sargent kicked him, but got no reaction. "Move!" he cried.

 

This scene attracted the attention of the others soldiers nearby. They looked over, confused, and started yelling at Steel to just swallow the pain and get up.

But Duke walked over and knelt down by Steel. "His alchemy's turned off," he said.

"What do you mean?! Steel is forbidden from using alchemy!" Peeves barked.

Duke looked up, an incredulous look on his face. "He needs alchemy to  _move_. He's just a hollow shell, he doesn't have muscles!"

"You're telling me that boy transmutes for every step?!" the Sargent barked.

Duke nodded. "He has to sir. Why do you think he burns coal? Apparently regular transmutation energy isn't enough."

The Sargent crossed his arms. "He needs to survive on the ration he's given. On the field he won't receive more. And Ishval has no wood to eat either."

 

Duke looked up, eyes flashing. "The boy will destroy his soul at this rate!"

"Soul? What do you mean soldier?!" the Sargent barked.

Duke looked down, eyes hard. "The soul... it can be burned for energy. I don't know why, but it can. That's what this moron does," he said, punching Steel. "When he's out of coal, he uses his soul. It's that or have his alchemy rebound and destroy him."

 

Peeves stood there for a long, long moment. Then he asked softly, "How do you know this soldier?"

Duke looked away. "I experimented on myself. Pushing the limits of what an alchemist can do. I researched this strange energy, one that could break the laws of Equivalent Exchange. Eventually I saw how I was aging too quickly, too much. I realized the price of my folly- my life itself was being drained away. How old do you think I am?" he asked, looking at the Sargent.

"27," Peeves replied, then caught himself and barked, "What does this have to do with Private Steel?!"

"I'm fifteen," Duke replied, and Peeves took a half-step back. "As for Steel... I often pushed myself to the point of unconsciousness using my soul-energy. There's a limit, even for that. I suspect Steel's fallen unconscious because of that."

 

"So this useless lump of lead has been slowly killing himself?!" the Sargent cried. 

Duke nodded. "Basically."

The Sargent rubbed his face with his hand. "Take him to the infirmary, and tell them to load the boy up with coal. When he wakes let me know," he said, turning on his heel and striding away.

Duke watched him go, then easily picked up Steel and carrying him under his arm. He looked down at Steel and sighed. "You're an ijiot..." he muttered.

 

 

He took the boy to the infirmary, explaining the situation to the nurse there. They laid Steel up on a rough cot, shoving some coal down his throat, and waited.

 

And waited. And waited. Time dragged on, and still Steel didn't wake. Duke sat in a wooden chair by his side, worrying. The nurse went back to her little desk at the front of the shanty, glancing over at the two every now-and-again.

Eventually the Sargent came striding in, banging the tin door open. "What, still here?! Surely the boy's conscious now?!"

Duke shook his head. "No..." he muttered. "He hasn't stirred."

"Damn it! Did the boy actually kill himself?"

Duke sighed. "I don't know sir. I have one idea-"

"Name it!" Peeves barked.

"I can try to activate his transmutation circle..." Duke said tentatively.

"Then do so! Why haven't you soldier?!"

Duke sighed. "Forcing someone to transmute... it's not illegal, but all but forbidden among alchemists..."

"Does it look like I care?! Do it!" Peeves cried.

 

Duke took a bracing breathe, then laid his hands on Steel's engraved one. He closed his eyes and concentrated, searching mentally for the signature of Steel's soul.  _Come on boy_ he thought.  _Just spend a little more..._

The circle flickered for a moment, then went out. Duke felt the stream of energy, too weak, too little. He closed his eyes again, but focused on his own soul.  _Help him! Just enough- just take a little more!_

He cried out in pain as he felt his life be yanked away, and the transmutation circle glowed bright. Then with a cry, Steel's eyelights turned on.

 

Duke pulled back, gasping and hacking up blood. "Goddamnit Steel, you nearly killed me!"

"How did... you do that...?" Steel asked weakly, his eyelights moving to look at Duke and Peeves. "Hello... sir..." he said.

"Can you move soldier?" Peeves asked, voice surprisingly gentle.

Steel focused on his circle, and it flashed. His coal ignited, and he slowly sat up. "Now... I can..." he said. He rubbed the back of his neck and winced. "Damnit my neck hurts..."

"That must be where you soul's housed," Duke said.

Steel just looked at him. "Huh?"

 

Duke explained, and Steel's eyes grew wide. "So that's the cost," he breathed. "I thought- I knew it was body energy- but christ, it's soul energy?"

Duke nodded. "Your soul shouldn't be so weak though. What have you been  _doing?"_

"Yes, Private. What  _have_ you been doing to drain yourself this much?" Peeves asked.

 

Steel explained how he'd been transmutation his legs to heavier diamond, and Duke just groaned and face-palmed. "You  _moron_ you know how much energy it takes to turn carbon into diamond?!"

"...way too much," Steel admitted. "More than I can burn in a day."

"Than  _why_ on bloody earth have you been going it?!" Peeves yelled.

"You told me to fire straight! I need to be heavier, and diamond's heavier than graphene!"

 

The Sargent just... stared at him. "Stone. Just load your hollow legs with stone you bloody  _moron!_ " he cried.

"Ya,  _what_ stone?" Steel retorted. "I  _tried_ that, but every time I went to the forest to find some you ordered me back!"

"You coulda said you were getting stone instead of wood idiot!" Peeves shouted.

 

Steel fell silent at that. Duke just sighed. "You could have asked me to get some you know," he said. "Me or any of the other boys."

Steel looked away. "I didn't want to get anyone in trouble..."

"You were too proud to ask," Peeves said, crossing his arms. "Do you think me an idiot? I know the others help you by giving you wood they snatch. I see your face when you receive it. You look pissed."

"Because it's my problem, not theirs!" Steel cried. "I should deal with it, not them!"

"You  _moron_ , one soldier's problem is everyone's problem! Did you learn  _nothing_   from the last few weeks?!"

Steel blinked. "Thought the point was to make us strong."

 

Peeves face palmed and said through his fingers, "The  _point_ is to teach you to rely on others. Do you know  _nothing_ about the military?"

"...I know it's cutthroat. Everyone shoving the others to get to the top," Steel said darkly.

"Right, but you're on the bottom moron. There you rely on those  _beside_ you. Doncha have a brother? Don't you rely on him?"

"He's younger than me! He relies on me!" Steel cried.

"Ah. Older brother complex," Peeves commented. Then he sighed and shifted on his feet. "Look coal-shit, there's two lessons I've  _tried_ to drill in your hollow head. One, be conserving of your resources. Two, don't be a damn loner. Seems you can't learn anything," he said contemptuously. 

 

Steel just stared at the cot next to him, studying the weave of the blanket on it. "Sorry sir," he muttered.

"Sorry? Is that all you have to say?!" Peeves shouted, grabbing Steel's head and forcing him to look Peeves in the eyes. "What kind of chicken-shit are you?!"

"What do you want me to say?!" Steel snapped. "You're right! I'm a idiot, I never learn! That's how my damn brother ended up hurt, that's why I'm here! Because I'm a moron!"

Peeves stared for a second, then let go and shoved Steel back on the cot. "If that's the only reason, leave." 

He turned on his heel and strode out the door. Steel watched him leave.

 

Suddenly, Duke sighed and attracted Steel's attention. He'd forgotten the boy was still there. "You. are. a. bloody.  _moron!_ " he cried. 

Steel looked away. "Ya, no shit."

Duke hit him. "No, you shit, you really are. You really only came here cause you're running away?!"

"I'm not running away!" Steel protested. "I was kicked out!"

"You shit, if you really cared about your brother you'd go back!" Duke exclaimed. "You're just afraid to face him after he lost his heart!"

 

 

 

Steel fell silent, and stared down at his stomach. "I... I don't want him to hate me. I don't wanna see it. So I... I can't go back..."

"You know that's a damn stupid reason for joining the military, right?" Duke said. He sighed and said, "Go back. Just do it. Whatever your brother says. You need to face him."

"But..." Steel started.

"No buts. Just-"

"Let me finish. He's gunna join the military too. I wanna be there for him when he does."

Duke looked over at him, a flicker in his eyes. "What, you gunna be his babysitter?"

"No- not exactly-"

Duke grunted. "He won't thank you for that dipshit. He's gunna get sick of you being a mother hen eventually. He's what, eleven? Do you think when he's sixteen he'll want you wiping his bum?"

 

"No!" Steel cried. "But I-" he stopped and looked over at the wall. "He's just a  _boy_. He's too- I don't want to see him crushed."

"Then he shouldn't be in the military," Duke said shortly.

"I know that!" Steel said. "But I can't dissuade him!"

"So what then? You'll try to keep his hope alive? That won't  _work,"_ Duke stated.

Steel took a deep breathe, blowing out smoke. "But I can be there when he falls," he said. "I can pick him up. He's got no one but me, I can't just let him do it alone."

"He'll have his friends, his fellow recruits. He won't be any more alone than you are."

Steel looked down. "So I'm just useless to him?"

 

Duke sighed and rubbed his face. "You're his brother, not his nursemaid. You can help him, but he has to stand on his own two feet. Understand?"

Steel was silent for a long time. But eventually he said, "I still want to be a soldier. I can help him better as a soldier than a civilian."

"How?" Duke asked simply. "Without being a brooding hen."

Steel thought for a long minute. "No one can help another unless they understand their pain. That's why- that's what connects us. Always has."

Duke hummed. "Right answer. You can be his friend, his supporter, his brother. Not his mother. Got it?"

"Got it," Steel said, sitting back up. 

 

Duke grabbed his hand and pulled him out of bed and to his feet. "Come on dipshit. Now ya gotta convince the Sarge not to throw you out."

Steel nodded. "Help me, will ya? You speak better than I." He paused and added, "And taller."

Duke laughed. "Fine, but I ain't carrying you. You need to grow up," he said.

Steel's eyes lit up. "Let's stop by the supply room then."

Duke nodded. "Lead the way runt. Bout time you grew a spine."

Steel nodded sharply, and they strode out of the hospital hut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY so Steel is, as just a shell, 4 pounds. Just four. Ain't no way I'm having him be THAT light those so let's fudge some numbers and make him twice as heavy.
> 
> ...which makes him as heavy as his gun. 
> 
> Hence the kickback problem. I don't know how many pounds of force the kickback IS (google failed me) but if the rifle is his weight I'd assume it's enough to shove him.


	23. Brothers

They strode to the supply hut, and there Steel grabbed some scissors and cut the threads folding his uniform up. Duke raised an eyebrow. "You never cut it?"

"Nope. I figured I wouldn't get another uniform," Steel replied.

Then he took a deep breathe and said, "Get the others, would ya? I'll need backup. Meet ya in the field," he said.

Duke nodded and headed off.

 

Steel closed his eyes and clapped his hands together. He slowly grew his body, expanding the graphene shell bit by bit. He went slowly, changing his human-like body to something more efficient, a body with proper ball joints on his arms and legs, a face that by default looked quietly confident, hands and feet that would shift properly without too much transmutations.

 

A long minute later the last of the blue light dissipated.  Steel took a deep breathe without moving, finally using his transmutation circle to draw oxygen in. He turned on his heel and stode out of the hall, circle glowing slightly.

 

He found the others causally loitering around on the field, but they looked up when Steel arrived. Steel ignored them, walking over to the Sargent.

He went in front of him and saluted. "Private Steel reporting for duty!" he said.

The Sargent looked over at him. He blinked, then roared, "I thought I told you to leave?!"

Steel didn't drop his salute, replying stilly, "Not exactly sir! You told me to leave if I joined only for bad reasons, sir!"

"And you didn't?!" the Sargent roared. 

"No sir! I admit I had some bad reason, but I have better ones as well!" Steel replied.

 

"Explain soldier!" the Sargent commanded.

"Sir!" Steel replied, finally dropping the salute to shift to be at attention. "I joined to protect my brother sir! To be there for him when he joined sir!"

"So you just wanna be a nursemaid?!" the Sargent barked.

"No sir!" Steel replied. "My companions corrected me sir! I will be a fellow soldier, stand beside him, not above him!"

The Sargent grunted. "And if he never joins?" he asked.

"Then I protect him as I will all civilians, by fighting for my country and guarding the weak!" Steel replied. 

"And your fellow soldiers?! Do you care about them?!"

Steel looked over at the group, and smiled slightly. "They are my brothers as well! Brothers in arms! I will protect them just as I do Mustang!"

 

The Sargent nodded minutely, and crossed his arms. "Who gave you permission to change form soldier?!"

"My fellow soldiers sir!" Steel replied. 

The Sargent looked over at the others. "Well?!" he shouted. "Did you?!"

 

Duke stood up. "He needs to grow up! He's useless as a child!"

Jeffory just looked up from where he was sprawled under a tree. "Runt was fun to toss, but a soldier need's some heft to him," he said.

Jones nodded and called out, "That moron needs to not waste coal tryin' to catch up to us!"

Others muttered agreement. Even without Steel or Duke asking them, they supported him all the same. Steel couldn't help but internally grin.

 

He was snapped out of it by the Sargent roaring, "Well then, all of you shall be punished! You will scrub down the barracks and mess. Get to it!"

Steel just saluted and said, "Yes sir!"

The others half-heartedly acknowledged the order and they all set out for the barracks. That was by far the longer job.

 

Steel joined the mass and said, "Sorry for-"

Duke just hit him over the head. "Stop it. We're a team, remember?"

"Ya. Sucks to clean, but we're ya buddies Steel," Ralph said, slapping him on the back. "But hey, ya don't need more fuel in this body do you?"

Steel shook his head. "I made it more efficient, so I should need less."

"Thank  _god_ ," Jeffory said. "You know how hard it is to find small enough branches for you?!"

Steel laughed. "Well, thanks for the effort bro."

"Yayaya whatever," Jeffory replied. "Now whose doin' what?" he said as they reached the barracks.

 

"I'll take the upper walls," Steel said. "I'm still the lightest," he said, going to the supply closet to grab some cleaning supplies. 

Duke laughed. "Alright, I'll take the lower walls then. Climb up," he said as Steel returned with the supplies and handed him a wet rag. Steel just jumped and landed on Duke's shoulder's, the boys catching their balance eventually.

"Ya look stupid," Jeffory said laughing. "Alright, I'll take the floor under the bunks," he said, grabbing supplies and shoving a row of bunks aside to get at the floor.

The others split off, some taking the latrines, some taking the rest of the floor, some just tidying the bunks others hadn't made up to code.

 

They all joked and teased as they worked, finishing the job quickly. Then they moved on to the mess, and once again, Steel got stuck washing pots. 

He rolled his eyes. "What, you pansies can't take a little hot water?" 

The others laughed. "Hey, hotter equals cleaner, and you can't get third-degree burns!"

Steel laughed and got to work. He did heat the water far more than most could stand, but it made the job faster.

 

Eventually they finished and sent for the Sargent to look it over. "Seems you delinquents can do something!" he barked. "Now get to the barracks! You missed dinner, too bad slackers!"

The men groaned but complied. It wasn't quite bedtime, but it was close. They saw the other men lounging around outside, but went to the barracks and got ready for the night. 

 

As Steel stripped for the night, the others looked over. "Whoa, what's with the doll look?" one called out.

Steel looked up and replied, "More efficient Charles. I dun need fuel to move them that way."

"Wait, you can move without fuel? Why the hell weren't you doing that before?!" Duke cried.

"Cause I couldn't figure out how dipshit!" Steel shouted back. "You know  _how weird_ it is to not use muscles? My brain couldn't get used to it."

"So what shifted?" Jones called out. "An epiphany?"

"Sorta," Steel said. "When I was unconscious I mentally experimented till I got the hang of it."

 

"Wait, you were still conscious?!" Duke cried. "The hell?!?"

Steel looked down. "I was... look Duke. Did you ever see Truth?"

"Huh?" Duke asked. "I know truth about stuff ya."

Steel shook his head. "No no- did you ever wind up in a white void, with only this creepy figure and a door?"

Duke just blinked. "Nooooo. What the hell are you talking about?"

 

Steel internally sighed and explained. The others listened at first, but soon started talking among themselves when they realized it was just alchemy shit.

 

Duke just watched Steel, wide-eyed. "So that's what happens when you break the laws?" he whispered. "I knew... I knew it rebounded, but damn..." he muttered, rubbing his arm.

"I thought you knew cause, well, your arms," Steel said.

Duke shook his head. "There was a fire- my arms got burned beyond repair. They amputated them. I'm not stupid enough to try Hum-"

"It wasn't human transmutation!" Steel cried. "Just a damn teleportation spell!"

"Right," Duke said, crossing his arms. "Sure. Uh huh."

"Look, crossing worlds is hard okay?!" Steel yelled. 

 

That made everyone look up. "Worlds? What the hell you talkin' about coal-shit?" someone called.

Steel's eyes widened. He didn't-  _shit_.

"I- I-" he stammered. "I misspoke," he said weakly.

"No you didn't," Duke said, narrowing his eyes. "Explain."

 

Steel looked down. "Okay. Yall know how my name's Roy Steel?"

"Ya. What's that-"

"And my brother is Roy Mustang?" he said.

"Ya. Different dads?" Duke asked.

"Sorta. And mom's. And houses. And  _worlds_. Mustang- we're twins. Look," he said, pulling a picture out of his pocket and handing it to Duke.

 

Duke looked at the photo of Mustang and Steel and whistled. "Except the skin- what, you copied him?"

"Have you ever seen me shift how my face looks?" Steel asked deadpan. 

"Eh- beside expressions? Suppose not. So you're saying you're what- a other-world Roy Mustang?" Duke asked.

Steel nodded. "Yep."

 

Jeffory scoffed. "Kay Steel, nice story. Now what really happened."

"That's what really happened!" Steel said hotly. "I'm from a different world!"

"Right. So you're what, an alien?"

"No- human. It's like- I'm from a mirror world. It's just like this one," Steel said.

"So everyone walks backwards there?" Jeffory asked.

 

Jones laughed. "No, obviously they just mix up right and left!"

Steel blew smoke at him. "I'm not joking," he said. "I'm from another world."

Jones coughed and frowned. "Right Steel, this isn't funny. Who did you resurrect? Your parents?"

"I'm not joking!" Steel said. "And I'd be killed if I did that you dipshit!"

"Heh?" Jones asked. "Why?"

"Dude, don't you think they asked me why I was made of coal?" Steel said. "They asked if I did human transmutation, of course. Think they investigated me as well, after I joined. If I did they'd have court-marshalled me."

 

"So that's what that report was," Duke mused.

Steel looked at him. "What report?"

"Oh, I overheard an officer give Sarge a report about you a few days okay. Something about your test."

Steel blinked rapidly. "Wait, test? I wonder..."

"What?" Duke asked.

"If they mean my State Alchemist test."

 

Now everyone fell silent and stared at him. "You applied to be a State Alchemist?!" Duke sputtered.

Steel drew himself up. "Yes? So what?!"

Duke just shook his head. "Damn dude. You'll really be a dog of the military."

"Says the soldier," Steel pointed out. "I'll just be like a special unit soldier."

"So, you told them about how you were from another world?" Duke asked.

Steel nodded his head. "When they saw me teleport they believed me."

"It is weird as hell alchemy," Duke admitted. He sighed. "Well, if high command believed you, guess I do too."

 

"I don't. What's different in this other world?" Jeffory asked.

"Well, for one, the county's called Prussia..." Steel started.

They talked till light's out about Steel's world, the others slowly being swayed as he explained more differences in the two worlds.

Eventually Jones whistled. "Okay alien, we get it. So you're lookin' for this murderer of your parents?" he asked.

"...yes," Steel replied. "I know he's weird, but that's it."

 

Duke rubbed his chin. "Homoculi are a myth here, but who knows, maybe he's from a third world."

"How many worlds are there?" Jeffory called out.

Steel shrugged. "God knows dude. I just know there's two. And maybe Envy's from another, I dunno. Right now I care more about my bro than Envy."

They nodded. "Ya, worry about monster-boy later," Jeffory said. "If he exists."

 

Steel started to protest, then just rolled his eyes. "Ya, whatever. Alright. I'm reading. Night," he said, rolling over with one of the tactics books he'd persuaded Sarge to let him study.

 

Eventually the other soldiers filed in as taps played, and got to sleep. Steel stayed up reading by the light of the moon, thinking over what just happened. He smiled.  _Good to know that I have friends..._


End file.
